


Partners

by fanmoose12



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drama and Angst, F/M, Mystery, at least in the beginning, levi is a sad jerk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:47:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 51,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26651647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanmoose12/pseuds/fanmoose12
Summary: When Petra was promoted to a detective and partnered up with legendary Levi Ackerman, she felt like the happiest person in the world.But, as she soon found out, detective Ackerman she used to admire so much was actually a far cry from the ideal policeman Petra thought he was. He was rude, harsh and easily annoyed.And, in addition, he still hadn’t moved on from the death of his previous partner - detective Hange Zoe.
Relationships: Levi/Hange Zoë, Oluo Bozado/Petra Ral
Comments: 187
Kudos: 299





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> soooo as you've guessed from the summary, hange isn't actually in this fic? but it's still very much focused on levihan  
> idk hope you enjoy?

_“You two make a good team.” “Thank you. His last partner cast a long shadow.”_

_Daredevil, vol. 4_

Petra had been a police technician for long five years. She didn’t hate her job per se, and helping other people was always one of the biggest passions in her life, but… She always strived for something better, _something bigger_.

However, she hadn’t been promoted for so long that she had lost all hope of rising up in ranks. So when, one day, Captain Erwin called her into his office, she'd feared that he decided to transfer her to another division, or, maybe, he noticed some kind of inconsistencies in one of her reports. Her legs were wobbly, while she was walking through the station’s corridors. And as she opened the door to the Captain's office, her hands were shaking and sweaty.

But as it turned out, there was nothing to be worried about. She wasn't transferred, there was no mistakes in her reports. No, instead, she was _promoted_. To a detective. And her new partner was none other than detective _Levi Ackerman_ himself.

Even outside of their department, Detective Ackerman was a living legend. In the ten years he had served in the homicide department, he and his partner Hange Zoe solved every single case appointed to them. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with, their unusual investigation tactics bewildered and sometimes shocked civilians, but nevertheless, they were a pride of their department. And there was no one, who was more proud of them than their superior officer, Captain Erwin. Those three trusted each other unconditionally, and were not only close colleagues, but dear friends as well.

Although, all of it had come to an abrupt end two years ago, when Hange Zoe mysteriously disappeared during one of the cases. It was quite unclear, if she had really died, her body was never recovered, and both Levi and Erwin refused to give a statement, regarding that accident. The only thing general public knew that detectives Zoe and Ackerman ventured on a mission to capture a dangerous criminal, Zeke Yeager, but only Levi walked out of that building alive.

And ever since that accident, detective Ackerman became secluded and aloof. His success rate dropped significantly and he refused to accept another partner.

Petra became a policeman, when detectives Zoe and Ackerman were in their prime and the talk of the whole city. Petra saw them a lot, as they hurried in and out of the station. They were a weird pair, and if she didn't know better, wasn't aware of just how successful their partnership was, she would never guess that those two genuinely liked each other. They were so different - Hange's lips were seemingly permanently curled into an excited smile, while Levi's face was always set in scowling expression. They constantly teased and made fun of each other, but there was always an undeniable affection in their words, no matter how biting they were, and in their eyes, as they gazed at each other. And the fact that Levi was taking her death so hard, only further proved that those two were extremely close comrades.

And, of course, from the first time she had laid her eyes on detective Ackerman, Petra couldn’t help, but admire him. He was sharp, collected, hard-working and righteous. He embodied everything a good policeman should be.

And now, she was going to be his partner. Petra couldn't wait to start their new case! As she walked away from Captain Erwin’s office, she kept imagining what her first day of working with legendary Levi Ackerman would be like.

"Good day, I'm detective Petra Ral and this is _my partner_ Levi Ackerman."

Gosh! Just the thought of it made her feel dizzy.

She was so happy! She was ready to do everything to prove herself to Levi. To be an even better partner to him than his previous one.

* * *

The next day, as soon as Petra woke up, she could barely conceive her excitement. She came to work earlier than usual, and she couldn't keep a smile off her face, as she gathered all of her belongings into a box, so she could bring them to her new workplace. She would be sharing an office with detective Ackerman himself! She didn't dare to even dream about that, but now it was actually happening! Truly, she was the luckiest person in the world.

"What got you in such a good mood?" Oluo, her _past_ co-worker asked. "Have they finally fired you?"

"I'm being promoted, dummy," she couldn't resist the smug grin that appeared on her face. "So show some respect. You're talking to a _Detective_ Petra Ral."

"Detective?" Oluo whistled, sitting back in his chair. "And who is that miserable fool who will become your partner?"

"I don't think you've heard of him," Petra put hands on her hips, looking down at Oluo, a sense of pride nearly overwhelming her. "Does the name Levi Ackerman say something to you?"

"No way," Oluo's eyes widened almost comically. "You're fucking with me."

"I'm not."

"Holy shit, _you're_ detective Ackerman's partner? He refused one for years!"

Petra shrugged, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Maybe, he saw something special in me."

"Or, maybe, Captain Erwin pressured him into this."

Petra huffed. "You're just jealous because you'll be stuck here, doing patrol work till your pension."

"Oh, shut up and leave already," Oluo turned to his computer. "I was getting sick of seeing your face anyway."

Petra's gaze lingered on Oluo's back for a moment. Maybe, she was too harsh with him? True, he was oftentimes lazy and enjoyed slacking off, dumping all of his work on Petra, but he was a good man. An honest one, Petra respected him. She liked him, too, even though sometimes that arrogant smirk of his drove her absolutely mad.

Well, she could always apologize to him later. Knowing Oluo, he probably didn't even care about her words. Certainly a cup of coffee would make him forget about any offence.

Besides, she had to forget about him for the time being. Today was important day. She couldn't let herself lose her focus.

* * *

When Petra came to her new office, Levi was already there.

"G-good morning!" she squealed. "I'm your new partner, Petra—"

"I know," Levi harshly cut her off. "I'm sure you know my name as well, so let's skip the pleasantries. Just put your shit somewhere and get to work."

"Oh... alright."

Trying to hide her disappointment, Petra looked around the office. There were four desks there. She decided to take the one that was across from Levi's.

"No!" instantly, Levi covered the desk with his hands. He looked up, glaring at Petra so fiercely, as though she had done some horrible dead. His voice was quiet and yet so cold, it made shivers run down Petra's spine. "That desk is already taken."

Petra gave it a second look. Now that she stood so close to it, she could see that the table was covered in stacks of papers and empty coffee cups. However, despite its messiness, the desk was pristinely clean. 

Petra checked the date on the report that was lying on the top. The report was written almost two years ago. By detective Hange Zoe.

Oh.

So Levi didn't really move on, did he?

"Can I sit here?" Petra pointed to the desk near the window.

Levi looked at her for barely a second.

"That desk is empty," he said, returning to his work.

An uneasy silence fell over the room. At least, it was uneasy for Petra. Levi didn't seem to care in the slightest.

"So..." she tentatively began after a few of excruciatingly long minutes. “What is our first case?"

"Oh, yes," Levi threw a case file on her desk. "A middle-aged man was killed this morning. A rich snob, he was most definitely killed by his wife, because he refused to share his money. I've already run through the possible theory with forensics, all you need to do is to question his wife to see if my theory is legit or not. I'm sure it is, though."

"Ah... okay."

So there won't be any teamwork, huh? Maybe, it was for the best. Levi's attitude left much to be desired.

Still, Petra wasn't going to give up so easily.

So when she returned from detention center, where the wife of the deceased was held (she _did_ kill her husband, Levi was right), Petra brought him a cup of tea.

"I didn't know how you take it," she said sheepishly, putting the cup in front of him. "Tell me what you think."

Levi looked up at her, regarding her carefully. His eyes were sharp, but that was about everything Petra could say about them. They were a beautiful shade of grey, but she could see nothing in them, but boredom and indifference.

Their eye contact didn't last for a second too long. Levi turned to the cup on his desk. He lifted it slowly, staring at the swirling liquid inside. Glancing back at Petra again, be put it to his lips and took a sip.

"It's very good," he said after a moment. "Exactly how I like it."

Petra's heart swelled. Her lips almost curled into a happy smile. But then Levi threw the contents of the cup into the trash can.

"Her tea always tasted like shit," he muttered under his nose, but loud enough for Petra to hear.

She could feel tears gathering in the corner of her eyes.

"I appreciate the effort," his voice didn't sound like he truly did. "But don't bring me tea, or some other kind of food, ever again. You shouldn't waste your time with such useless shit."

And then he turned back to his computer, not sparing another glance in her direction.

Petra felt like the biggest idiot, like a naive little girl, who was scolded by her teacher.

Why did she even bother?

* * *

"Petra, right?" Levi asked after a while.

"Yeah?"

"You can go home earlier, Petra."

"But I didn't finish my report—"

"I'll do it for you. Go and rest."

Petra narrowed her eyes. It sounded like Levi was trying to make her leave.

"Were you working on the case the whole day?"

Levi had been glued to his computer screen ever since Petra came. He didn't even go on a break.

"...Yes, of course. What else would I be working on?"

He hesitated, for less than a second, but he _did_. Why? What was he doing? What was so important to her new partner? Oh, how Petra wanted to know! But she knew she couldn't, there was no way that Levi would be willing to tell her about it.

However, she could always find out in some other way.

Not today, though.

"Alright, thank you," she smiled sweetly. That smile always made everyone smile back. However, it seemed to have no effect on Levi. "I'll be going then. Have a nice evening."

"Sure," Levi answered absentmindedly, his attention already back on his screen.

Before walking out of the office, Petra gave him another critical look.

She'd be damned, but she'll find out his secret. She'll prove to him just how good she was as a detective.

Not worse than his dead partner.


	2. Chapter 2

The loud shrill sound of her ringtone woke Petra up. She groaned, turning on her side, a hand reaching out to the bedside table. She cursed as she nearly threw off the lamp in her haste to get to the annoying device. After a couple of awkward bumps and clashes, her fingers finally touched the smooth surface of her phone. She answered the call immediately, not sparing a glance at the display.

"Y-yes?" she asked, not even trying to hide the sleepiness from her voice.

"Petra, it's your new partner, Levi," and, oh god, it woke her up _fast_. Faster than a bucket of cold water ever could. "There had been a murder and Erwin asked us to investigate. I'll text you the address, come as soon as you can. I'll be waiting."

And then, before Petra could give him any kind of an answer, he ended the call. For a few long seconds, Petra just sat on her bed, phone still near her ear.

There has been a murder? And she was going to investigate it? _For_ real, not like yesterday's case, where everything had been already dealt with by Levi? Gosh, someone had actually died, it shouldn't make her so excited. But it did.

She all, but jumped out of her bed, trying to get ready as fast as possible.

* * *

  
When she arrived to the tall apartment complex, where a murder had happened, Petra was surprised to find out just how many police officers were there, especially considering the late hour. In the distance, she even saw Oluo, who was arguing with a lonely pedestrian. Petra wanted to come up and say hi, but she knew she had no time for that right now. She would surely apologize to him, but later.

As she neared the entrance, Petra saw that Levi was leaning over the brick wall. Was he waiting for her? While she was approaching him, she noticed that the circles under his eyes were even more prominent than yesterday, especially under the light of a street lamp. Furthermore, he was wearing yesterday's clothes. Did he not come home after work, Petra wondered, as Levi finally looked up at her.

"You came sooner than I expected," he told her, his voice, as always, calm and disinterested. "Let's go inside, the murder happened in the apartment on the fourth floor."

"Who is the victim?"

"A woman in her thirties. She was found by her roommate, who came home after a night shift."

Petra nodded, absorbing the information. "What was the cause of death?"

"A cut to her throat."

"Oh," Petra breathed out. It was not what she expected.

“It’s your first murder case, right?” Levi asked, his voice gentler than Petra was used to. “If you don’t feel like you can do it, you don’t have to.”

“I’ll be fine,” Petra told him sternly. She tightened her hands into fists, raising her head high. She won’t show him any fear. She was strong. She could do it. She _will_ do it. “C’mon,” she urged Levi, who was staring at her with furrowed eyebrows. “We have work to do.”

The apartment, once Petra stepped inside, was surprisingly clean. After hearing about slashed throat, she expected to see splashes of blood, or, at least, signs of a struggle. Instead, the living room was neat and tidy. Petra would have even called it cozy, if she didn’t know that a person was murdered there.

“Where is the body?” Levi asked a member of forensic team. It was a tall and light-haired man, Petra remembered seeing him at the precinct. If she wasn’t mistaken, his name was Moblit Berner, and before the death of Hange Zoe, he was working closely with the infamous duo.

“Detective Ackerman!” Moblit threw his hands in the air, stopping Levi from taking another step. “Please, you can’t go in here!” 

“Moblit,” Levi growled. “What do you think you’re doing? I was appointed to this case by Erwin. So move the fuck away.”

“C-captain Erwin?” Moblit paled at the mention of his superior. “But detective… you really shouldn’t see it.”

“I’ve been a detective for more than ten years,” Levi pushed past Moblit. “Dead bodies don’t scare me.”

“It’s not just a dead body…” Moblit whispered, but Levi paid him no mind.

He walked inside the bedroom, where a body was found, Petra hot on his heels. She glanced over his shoulder, her nerves getting to her after all those warnings from Moblit. But… The bedroom seemed as clean as all the rest of the apartment. There was no blood, no guts, no everything. Just a young brown-haired woman lying in her bed, looking so peaceful, as though she was simply asleep. Petra actually felt relieved at the sight, she was expecting something much, _much_ worse.

Pulling on the sterile gloves, Levi swiftly reached the bed, his sharp eyes taking every detail of a crime scene. However, as he moved the victim’s head to take a better look at her wound, Petra noticed that his hands were trembling. She watched him curiously, Levi didn’t seem to be disgusted or wary by the corpse itself. He touched the wound without any kind of remorse, but, for some reason, he avoided looking at the victim’s face and his moves were strangely reluctant, as he pressed his hand to the mop of brown hair.

“She looks nothing like her,” he whispered, continuing with inspection.

“Detect—”

Before Petra could finish, Levi’s eyes landed on a small bedside table. He tensed immediately, staring at it with wide, unblinking eyes.

“Detective?” Petra called again, feeling more than a little unnerved by the change in him.

“Son of a bitch!” Levi suddenly shouted. “Motherfucker!”

Petra watched him in silence, shocked and bewildered by a sudden outburst of a man, who always acted so calm. She reached out, meaning to lay a comforting hand on his shoulder, but before she could do so, Levi turned on his heels, storming out of the room.

Before Petra followed after him, she glanced at the table, curious as to what possibly could get her partner so furious.

The table was almost empty, save for a pair of broken, bloodied glasses. Next to them, lay a note. Petra carefully lifted it up, reading the contents.

_Think you can catch me without her?_

Neither note, nor especially glasses made any sense to Petra. She hurriedly exited the room, searching for Levi. She didn’t have to look for long. Levi was in the middle of the living room, his hand tightly wrapped around the elbow of some obviously panicked police officer.

“Where the fuck is Erwin?” he asked in a low, dangerous voice, squeezing the man’s elbow tighter. 

“I… I don’t know, detec—”

“I’m here, Levi,” said a deep baritone, which Petra momentarily recognized as Captain Smith’s. “So please let the man go. You’re scaring him.”

“We need to talk,” Levi hissed. “Right fucking now,” he added, dragging Captain Erwin with him.

He led him to the small side room, which probably served as a study. Unable to resist her curiosity, Petra followed after them, crouching in the dark corridor and hoping they won’t see her.

“Levi, please calm down,” Captain Erwin tried to placate him, laying hands on his shoulders.

“Calm down?!” Levi sneered, throwing Erwin’s hands off. “How the fuck can I calm down, when that fucker has returned, _just like told you he would_ , and now he’s trying to play his stupid games with me?”

“We don’t know if it’s Zek—”

“It was her glasses, Erwin!” Levi screamed. His voice was filled with so much pain and anguish that Petra felt her heart clench in sympathy. “It was her damn glasses,” he repeated much quieter.

“Are you sure?” Captain Erwin asked softly.

“Of course, I’m sure,” Levi shakily ruffled his hair. “I was the one, who bought them for her, after she lost her previous one. That bastard is back, I’m sure about it too.”

“It can’t be,” Captain Erwin shook his head with a determined look. “It’s a copycat or a follower, but it’s not Zeke.”

“And what makes you think so?”

“Because Zeke died two years ago. And so did Hange,” Captain Erwin squeezed Levi’s shoulder. “It’s past the time you move on,” he added, before pushing past Levi and walking out of the room.

It happened so quickly that Petra didn’t get the chance to run away from her hiding spot. However, as he went past her, Captain Erwin paid her no mind. Either, he didn’t see her or he simply didn’t care.

But Petra knew she won’t get such luck with Levi, so she started moving, trying to make as little noise as possible. As she went past that room, she couldn’t help, but throw one last glance at her partner. And what she saw, broke her heart.

Levi stood there, in a dark, empty room. His fists, and his whole body, were shaking, as he took one labored breath after another.

He looked so vulnerable, _so fragile_ , Petra felt a barely resistible desire to come closer and comfort him. But she knew he would never accept her help, he didn't need her sympathy. So she ignored the painful clenching of her heart and walked away.

Returning to the living room, Petra wasn't sure what to do next. There were still members of forensic team and other policemen walking around, looking for samples of DNA or other evidence. Watching them, Petra contemplated her next move - should she help others with the investigation? Should she wait for Levi? Or, maybe, it'd be best to investigate on her own?

Before she could decide, a hand fell on her shoulder. She swiftly turned around.

"Oh, sorry, didn't mean to scare you," a man from forensics, Moblit, said. "Just wanted to say hi," he smiled softly.

Petra smiled back. Moblit's awkward friendliness made her feel at ease for the first time, since she set foot in that apartment.

"You're Detective Levi's new partner, right?"

"Yeah," Petra nodded, trying very hard not to cringe.

“He can be a real asshole sometimes, eh?” Moblit asked with a look of understanding in his eyes.

Petra let out a small chuckle. “Something like that, yes.”

“He was different before,” Moblit continued, his gaze becoming distant. “Still not the easiest guy to deal with, but… when Detective Hange was around, she managed to somewhat soften his edges.”

“You recognized her glasses too,” Petra looked at him carefully. “So you knew her well?”

“Detective Hange… was an incredible woman. She was a great detective, but before joining the force, she was attending a medical school. She often helped us in the laboratories and I worked with her closely. It’s a shame you haven’t met her,” he said with genuine sadness. “You would have liked her.”

“Yeah, she was great, I get it already,” Petra mumbled, fed up with hearing about how her predecessor was so much better than her.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry!” her cheeks flamed, as she realized she had said it out loud. “I didn’t to disrespect her or—“

“It’s fine,” Moblit gave her another sympathetic look. “You probably had a long day. You should rest, we’ve done all the work here anyway.”

“But—”

“I’ll explain everything to detective Levi, don’t worry. Just take it easy.”

Petra nodded shakily, moved by Moblit’s kindness. Acting on an impulse, she reached out and gave him a quick hug. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I really needed it.”

“If you ever need someone to listen to you bitching about your partner, you can always come down to the forensics department. I don’t mean to brag, but we have the biggest tea collection in the precinct, and Nifa always brings some delicious pastry.”

“I’ll be sure to visit,” she promised heartily, smiling softly.

"Petra."

That voice sent shivers down her spine, destroying the warm atmosphere that surrounded her conversation with Moblit. Petra slowly turned around.

"Yes, detective?”

"Let's go, there is nothing else we can do here for now. We'll start cracking this case tomorrow."

Petra stared at him in shock. Levi looked just as he usually did - calm, collected. His mouth was pressed in a hard line and his eyes were a mixture of boredom and indifference. All signs of that broken, grieving man Petra had seen before were gone. It left her speechless.

"C'mon," he urged, turning around. "I'll give you a lift to your place."

"W-what! You don't have to, sir!"

Levi glanced back at her, his grey eyes boring into hers with the already familiar look of annoyance.

"You're right, I don't. But I want to, so shut it and let's go. And, for the love of God, don't you call me sir ever again. Just Levi is fine."

"Um, okay, Levi!" Petra beamed, feeling her heart skip a beat. So deep down, Levi was really a kind and caring man.

However, before she followed after him, Petra turned around one last time, her eyes sweeping over the apartment. With only a few policemen still present, it looked so peaceful. It gave her creeps. It made her feel like... Something was coming. Something terrible. Something that will ruin many lives. Maybe, including her own.

Petra shook her head, clutching her fists. Whatever was going to happen, she'll be ready. She won't let anything break or destroy her.

She won't become another reason for the sadness in Levi's eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> /detective gumshoe voice/ the plot thickens!  
> tell me what you think!  
> (and, btw, if there any mistakes, please point me them out to me!)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sad levi alert btw

“Fuck,” Levi groaned, tightly gripping the steering wheel and looking up at the sky through the windshield. “The sun is almost up. We’ll need to be back at the precinct soon,” he glanced at Petra. “Do you still want me to take you home? Or we can have breakfast. There is a nice café nearby.”

Petra smiled. “Breakfast sounds good. Right now I need coffee more than a shower.”

Levi nodded, and without another word, speeded up the car.

A few minutes later they arrived to a small, cozy-looking café near the side of the road. It was painted in pretty pastel colors. Petra looked around in surprise, she would never guess that Levi preferred such home-looking establishments. It looked too personal for the grumpy detective.

As soon as they entered, a middle-aged woman with a warm, motherly smile came out to greet them. Her eyes widened, as they landed on Levi.

“Detective Ackerman!” she clasped her hands, looking utterly delighted. “It was so long since I’ve seen you! When was the last time that you and your partner have graced my café with your presence?”

“Two years ago,” Levi mumbled, avoiding the woman’s gaze. “And I don’t want to talk about it. I just want my damn breakfast.”

“Oh,” the woman’s face fell, as she looked at Petra. “I… I see. Alright, hon, do you want the usual tea and omelet?”

“If you would be so kind,” Levi agreed, taking a seat at the table near the window.

“Sure,” the woman gave him a smile. It was a sad and sympathetic one. “And you, my dear?” she turned to Petra. “What do you want?”

“An espresso and a toast would be great.”

“I’ll bring your order in a moment,” the woman stared at Levi for another second, and then turned around, disappearing into the kitchen.

“So you came here often?” Petra asked softly, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.

“I said that I don’t want to talk about it,” Levi turned his glare on her. However, before Petra opened her mouth to apologize, he sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. "Let's just... Let's just talk about the case, alright?" he asked, looking up at her beneath his fridge.

"S-sure," Petra nodded, all too eager to change the topic of conversation.

In that moment, their orders were brought and put on a table in front of them. Petra smiled gratefully and Levi gave the woman a curt nod, taking a sip from his cup.

"What we know is this," Levi began, taking out a small notebook out of the inner pocket of his deep blue jacket. "A woman was killed in her apartment. Her throat was slashed."

"The apartment was very clean," Petra whispered absentmindedly.

"Huh? What did you say?"

She fidgeted in her seat, feeling shy and unsure. What if she says the wrong say? What if she makes an idiot out of herself? But when she gathered enough courage to glance up at Levi, he was looking at her with interest. Petra straightened out. "Her throat was slashed," she repeated his words. "But there was no blood. The killer obviously tried to make it look as clean as possible."

"Hm, maybe, you're right, good job," he said. Just a few words, but it made Petra's heart beat so much faster. "Also, no signs of forced entry or fighting were found."

"Maybe, she knew the killer?" Petra offered.

"Maybe," Levi agreed. "That bastard always knew how to be charming."

"Are... Are you talking about Zeke Yeager?"

Levi gave her a sharp look. "It's not nice to eavesdrop. Especially, if you want to build a trusting relationship with your partner."

Petra's cheeks flamed up. "I'm sorry! I didn't really mean to, but—"

"But you were curious," Levi finished for her. "Well, a good detective should always be curious. So I guess the least I can do is to satisfy your curiosity."

"You don't have to!"

"No, I do," Levi protested softly, but firmly. "I've been a real jerk to you. And, while I'm really not a nice guy, you didn't deserve all that shit I've dumped on you. If we're going to be partners, we need to learn to trust each other. And trust is impossible, when there are secrets. But before I tell you anything, I have one question: do you know Djel Sannes?”

“Who?” Petra’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“Deputy police chief?” Levi’s eyes narrowed, as he carefully surveyed Petra’s face. “You don’t know him?”

“Er, sorry,” Petra chuckled, taking a sip of her espresso. “I’ve been a police technician for too long. I’m not really knowledgeable about all the higher-ups.”

“Hm,” Levi’s gaze lingered on her for another second. “It seems like you’re telling the truth. So it’s time for me to do the same," he turned his head to the side, staring at the window. He looked as calm as ever, but his hand was holding the cup so tightly, Petra worried he might break it. "As you probably know, Zeke was a notorious criminal. He was real bastard, who was not afraid to dirty his hands. Drug smuggling, kidnapping, murder - he was ready to do anything. Hange and I have been tracking him for months. Finally, we’ve managed to locate his hideout. As soon as we did, we started planning an ambush. Two weeks later and we were ready to capture Zeke. We arrived at the location, the building was huge, so we split up,” Levi let out a barely audible sigh. “Several minutes later, the explosion rang. It was a real fucking mess - the whole right wing of the hideout collapsed, there was fire and smoke all around. I tried to get there as soon as I could, but, no matter how hard I looked and how many broken slabs I’ve overturned, I couldn’t find even the sign of their bodies under all that mess. Only a few days later, forensics team found bits of Hange and Zeke’s DNA. But it was all they managed to retract.”

Despite, the horrible events he recounted, Levi’s voice was devoid of all emotions. His face was just as expressionless. Petra wasn’t sure if she should be amazed by his self-control or worried for his mental state. She decided to do neither, and instead followed Levi’s example and acted like as professional.

“You think Zeke had survived the explosion?”

“Erwin says it’s impossible,” Levi replied, expertly avoiding giving her a straight answer. “Says that DNA, found on the scene, had confirmed their deaths.”

 _Their?_ So Levi didn’t believe in Hange Zoe’s death as well? Petra remembered a desk in their office that looked as though it was waiting for its owner, even after two years. Was he really still expecting her to come back? Petra shook her head, she was losing focus again.

“You don’t believe the forensics team?”

“Zeke knew that we were coming for him. He planted the explosives beforehand,” he said. “Someone tipped him off, I’m sure of it.”

Petra’s eyes widened. Levi couldn’t be serious, right? “You think someone in police was involved with him?”

“I don’t have evidence,” Levi lifted the cup to his lips. “Yet,” he added with an intense look in his eyes. He shook his head and it was gone. “Now let’s deal with our breakfast, before it gets cold.”

* * *

As they were finishing their meals, Levi’s phone started ringing. He took it out and glanced at the screen. Sighing, he accepted the call.

“Yes, Erwin?” he asked, taking the last sip of his tea. For a few seconds, he listened to whatever was said on the other line. Petra watched him with interest. “Alright, we’ll be there soon.”

“Let’s go,” he told Petra after putting the phone back inside his pocket and paying for their breakfast. “They found a witness.”

* * *

Levi and Petra were making their way through the precinct, heading towards the interrogation room. As they were passing through a coffee machine, Moblit caught up with them.

"Detectives," he greeted them with a smile. "The autopsy report is finished," he handed the file to Levi, who accepted it with a murmured 'thanks'.

"Did you find something?" Petra asked, cocking her head.

"Yes," Moblit nodded with a grim face, all signs of the warmth gone from his expression. "We found traces of drug in victim's blood. Strong sedative, given to her three or four hours before her death."

"Shit," Levi whispered with feeling.

“And that’s not all,” Moblit tugged at his collar, looking tense and uncomfortable. Desperately trying to avoid looking Levi in the eyes.

“What else did you find?” Levi asked in a strangled voice. He probably already guessed what Moblit was going to say next, because he lowered his head. The black locks obscured his face completely.

“We ran a few tests on… the glasses that we found,” Moblit paused, clearing his throat. “We can’t really tell how old the blood on the lenses is, but… It definitely belongs to detective Hange.”

“Shit,” Levi clutched the hands on his side into fists. Petra wished she could look at his face, but she knew she wouldn’t like what she’d see there.

“Well, since I’ve delivered you the report,” Moblit chuckled, the sound fake and forced. “I… I’ll be going!”

"Wait," Levi grabbed him by the sleeve. "About yesterday, I sh—"

"It's fine, Detective," a sweet smile was back on Moblit's face. "It was a rather stressful situation for you. I understand it and harbor no ill feelings. Oh, and by the way, stop by our department, when you won't be so busy. I've got something that probably should belong to you."

"I..." Levi stared at him for a moment, his grey eyes reflecting a storm of unnamed feelings. But once again, he blinked and it was gone. "Thank you, Moblit," he said sincerely. "I'll come as soon as possible."

"Remember, Detective, our department has the best collection of tea," Moblit gently teased. "And Petra," he turned his hazel eyes at her. "Nifa brought delicious cupcakes today."

Petra chuckled, a warm feeling spreading through her. Moblit was always so nice, it was impossible not to like him. "I'll try to visit you as well."

"We'll be waiting then!" Moblit waved his hand and turned around, disappearing into the crowd of other policemen.

"You're getting friendly with Moblit," Levi commented, as they continued to walk.

Petra glanced at him. Levi's face was always so expressionless, his voice so neutral, it was hard to understand what he meant by his words. Was he disapproving? Or was it a simple observation?

"Well, he seems like a nice guy, so..." she trailed off, smiling impishly at Levi.

"He is a good man," Levi agreed. "Most members of forensic team are," he added. "They are trustworthy and honest. If you have any trouble, and you can't reach me or Erwin, they're your safest bet."

Levi was silent after that, but his words rang loudly in Petra's mind. It was the second time this day that Levi hinted about his lack of trust in police. Could it be that he was right? That there were traitors among their ranks who worked with the criminals? Or was it just a speculation of a man, who didn't know who to blame for the death of one woman? Who still wasn't able to accept that she was gone?

"Are you ready?" Levi asked, breaking Petra out of her thoughts. He stopped in front of big, metal doors.

Right, the interrogation room. They came here to question a witness.

"Sure," she smiled, hoping that her voice didn't quiver too much. "Shall we?"

Levi nodded, opening the door and letting Petra go in first.

Inside the small, dark room stood only a table and a couple of chairs. On one side of the table sat a young man, probably in his mid-twenties. He had light brown hair and a long face with narrow dark eyes. Petra and Levi sat down on the opposite side.

"I'm detective Ackerman and this is detective Ral," Levi said, before Petra could open her mouth. She couldn't help but feel disappointed that she wasn't the one to introduce them. She had rehearsed that line for so long...

"…Your name and occupation,” Levi asked the witness. He took out a pen and opened his notebook. Then he lifted his eyes, focusing his gaze on the man in front of him.

"Jean Kirschtein," his overly straight posture made it obvious that he was trying very hard not to squirm under Levi’s intense stare. Petra would have laughed, if she didn’t feel the same every time Levi turned his piercing eyes on her. “I’m a concierge at the apartment complex, where… that woman was killed.”

“That woman?” Levi raised an eyebrow. “So you didn’t know her?”

“I mean…” Jean ruffled his hair. “We’ve never really talked? She waved at me sometimes as she was passing by and sometimes she came up to my desk, so she could take her letters or deliveries, but that’s about it.”

“How long have you been working as a concierge there?”

“Um,” Jean raised his head, looking at the ceiling with pursed lips. “It’s already been three years, I think? By the way,” he leaned in, looking at Levi intently. “You look familiar. Did you use to live in that apartment complex, detective?”

“No,” Levi answered immediately. Maybe, it was Petra’s imagination, but he sounded rougher than usual. She looked at his face closely.

“Are you sure?” Jean pressed. “I’ve definitely seen you before.”

“I’m on a TV a lot,” Levi glared at Jean, daring him to say something else.

Levi sounded annoyed, and even more than that, disturbed? Was Jean really mistaken, or did Levi really live there? If so, then why deny it, and so fiercely? Maybe, he was not living there alone, maybe he shared the apartment with—

 _Oh_. That made sense.

“When we got to the scene of the crime yesterday,” Petra softly began, diverting Jean’s attention from Levi. “Your post was empty. Why?”

“Ah, yes,” Jean scratched his neck, a slight blush suddenly appearing on his cheeks. “I, um, I had a date yesterday, so I left earlier.”

“How much earlier? When does your shift end?”

The blush on Jean’s cheek became more prominent. “At six in the morning. But I’ve left… a little after eleven.” 

“You just left?” Levi scoffed, siting back in a chair. “Why am I not surprised?”

“It was an important date!” Jean threw his hands in the air. “And that jerk Eren refused to cover for me, because I was going out with his sister!”

Levi pinched the bridge of his nose, gritting his teeth in annoyance. "I didn't come here to ask about your personal life. Did you see the killer or not?"

"Of course, I've seen him! Why else would _I_ come here?"

"Alright," Petra said placatingly. "Did you see him enter and exit?"

"Eh, no," Jean scratched his chin. "Only enter."

"And you left the post at eleven?" Levi opened the autopsy report. "It says that time of death is somewhere between ten pm and midnight. But if you didn't see him leave..."

"Then the death happened after eleven," Petra concluded.

"Yes," Levi nodded. "That or he left some other way. Is there any security camera in the hallway?"

“There is, but they’ve been malfunctioning for more than a month, so…”

Levi cursed.

"Have you seen that man before?" Petra asked, remembering that the victim probably knew the killer.

Jean shook his head. "No, I haven't. I have a good face memory," his eyes darted to Levi for a second. "But I definitely haven't seen that man before. That's why he attracted my attention in the first place, actually. I mean, I wouldn't have called that woman completely antisocial, she lived with a roommate after all, but... She had never brought someone home, that's why I got so intrigued."

“When did they enter the building?”

“Just a little after seven,” Jean answered.

Levi made a small note.

"And did you get a good look on his face?"

"Mm, yes," Jean nodded. Petra opened her notebook and prepared to write down every detail. However, Levi didn't do the same and just continued to watch Jean with bored expression, as though he already knew what he was going to say. "He was tall, probably close to my height. Not exactly muscular, but his shoulders were wide. He wore dark jeans and light, long coat. He had slight stubble on his face and his hair was dark and curly."

"Bullshit," Levi said quietly, but fiercely.

"What?" Petra and Jean asked in unison, both turning to stare at Levi in confusion.

"You're lying," Levi calmly elaborated.

"No, I'm not," Jean protested.

"Yes, you're."

"I'm not!" Jean jumped from his seat. "I know what I've seen!"

"What you've seen is wrong." Levi answered in a cold, angry voice. "And if you aren't lying," he slowly rose up, coming to stand close to Jean. Too close. He grabbed his tie, pulling Jean down to his level. Levi was so much shorter than him, but Jean’s face paled as he looked at Levi’s murderous expression. “Then you’re covering for him. Are you, Mr. Kirschtein?”

“Did he pay you? Did he pay you to come here and spout these lies?” Levi wasn’t letting him go and Jean was already getting pale in the face, desperately trying to free himself from the Levi’s steel hold.

Petra knew she had to do something, she had to intervene, she couldn’t just let Levi manhandle their witness like that. She was frozen with indecisiveness and uncertainty up until— Up until she saw the panic in Jean’s eyes.

This wasn’t like it was supposed to go. They shouldn’t act like that. They were meant to help people, not harass and manhandle them.

“Levi,” she called, at first gentle and quiet.

He didn’t hear her.

“ _Levi,_ ” she pressed, more insisted this time.

Still no reaction.

“Detective Ackerman!” she shouted, getting to her feet and throwing Levi off Jean.

He looked at her then, dazed and confused. Slowly, he turned to Jean, the realization of what he had done reflecting in his eyes.

“My behavior was extremely improper,” Levi said, carefully pronouncing each syllable. “I lost my cool and I… apologize. Detective Ral,” his eyes darted back to her. “Finish this by yourself, please. There is something else I need to oversee.”

Then, after quickly fixing his jacket and shirt, Levi left the room, looking serious and composed. Petra once again marveled at his ability to put on the mask of indifference.

A silence settled over interrogation room. Petra kept nervously glancing at Jean, not really knowing what to do.

“He’s going through some stuff, isn’t he?” Jean chuckled, awkwardly rubbing his neck.

Petra smiled, eternally grateful to Jean for easing the atmosphere. “That’s one way to put it,” she answered, sitting down.

“I guess he already has a suspect?” Jean sat down opposite her.

Petra nodded in affirmative.

“And I guess he doesn’t match my description.”

“Precisely,” Petra sighed. “He suspects a guy who has been dead for two years, so… it’s no wonder that the description doesn’t match.”

Jean whistled. “I was correct then. He’s going through a lot.”

“He’s not a bad person,” Petra said, fiddling with her notebook. “Just a really sad one.”

“Yeah, I get it,” Jean ruffled his hair. “But… you do believe me, right?” he asked, looking at her beneath his fringe.

“Of course,” Petra gave him a reassuring smile. “I think that’s all we needed to discuss. You can go.”

“Alright,” Jean got up, stretching his feet. “If you need me for a follow-up questioning or something…”

“We’ll contact you, don’t worry,” Petra replied, opening the door and walking into the corridor. Jean followed after her. “Thank you for your time. And please forgive my partner for…”

“Manhandling me?” Jean grinned. “It’s alright. He clearly didn’t mean it, I understand. I’ve done worse things when angry. I hope you catch your guy… and I hope your partner gets the closure he needs.”

“Thank you again. Do you need me to walk you out?”

“No, I know the way,” Jean winked at her. “It’s not my first time at the police precinct. And I’m not even handcuffed this time!” he laughed merrily. “Goodbye and good luck!” he saluted to her and then walked away.

As Petra watched him go, she understood one important thing.

She could kill for a cup of coffee.


	4. Chapter 4

Petra was standing in front of a coffee machine, trying to choose between latte and cappuccino. She almost pressed on a button with latte written on it, when a hand, which fell heavily on her shoulder, stopped her.

"Goodness, don't even think of buying coffee there!"

Startled, Petra whirled around. She gasped as she saw Captain Erwin standing in front of her.

"Am I... not allowed to buy coffee here?"

Was there some unspoken rule that newly promoted detectives couldn't take coffee from the precinct's coffee machine? Was she overstepping some line?

For a second, Captain Erwin's eyebrows drew together in confusion. But then his lips curved into a smile, as he let out a soft chuckle.

"Oh no, no, of course, you're allowed to order coffee there," he assured her. "But you really shouldn't. In Levi's words," he scowled, trying to mimic Levi's annoyed expression. Petra couldn't resist a giggle - Captain Erwin's impression was spot on. "It tastes worse than horse's piss."

Petra covered her mouth with two hands, stifling her laughter.

Captain raised his arms in a placating gesture. "His words, not mine. But it's truly awful. C'mon," he turned around and started walking, beckoning Petra to do the same. "I'll make you a better one."

* * *

As Captain was busy with preparing coffee, Petra couldn’t help, but look around his office. The office wasn’t big or spacious, but it was brightly lit and tidy. There wasn’t much inside, only a bookshelf, filled with case files and diplomas, a small leather coach and simple wooden desk. The desk, for some reason, attracted the most of Petra’s attention. It didn’t look different from her own, the same computer model, the same table lamp, however… there was a photo frame standing beside computer screen. She couldn’t see, who was pictured there, but she found it curious and a little strange nevertheless. She would have never guessed that Captain had a family. He didn’t seem the type. 

"Here you go," Erwin placed a cup in front of Petra. She took it with two hands, lifting it up and inhaling a deep, bitter aroma. It smelled perfect. She brought it to her lips, taking a first sip. _Oh_. Not only it smelled perfect, it tasted perfect too. She couldn't keep in a small moan of satisfaction that escaped her lips, as the hot liquid made its way down her throat.

Erwin watched her with amused eyes. 

"Thank you," Petra smiled sheepishly, blushing slightly, as she put the cup down. "It's the best coffee I've had in weeks."

"My pleasure," Erwin smiled back, drinking from his own cup.

Petra fidgeted. Captain’s expression was relaxed, but those bright blue eyes were so intense, she felt like he was staring into her soul. Why did he even call her there? Surely not just for coffee.

"C-captain?" Petra gripped the cup in her hands tighter. "Did you invite me there for any particular reason?"

"I wanted you to enjoy a nice cup of coffee," Erwin put the cup down and rested his chin on top of his hands. His eyes stared at her, following the smallest of her moves. "And to talk with you. How is the case going?"

"Um..." Petra swallowed, feeling uneasy. "It's, um, going."

Erwin slightly raised his eyebrow, but didn't push the matter further.

“Levi asked for a day-off tomorrow,” he said. “Would you be able to hold on without him? I know you’ve just been promoted a—”

“No, it’s fine!” Petra assured him eagerly. Of course, the prospect of surviving the shift without her more experienced partner was a more than a little worrying. But after what she had seen today in the interrogation room, maybe, it was for the best if Levi spent some time at home.

"Speaking of Levi,” Erwin began. “Does he give you any trouble?"

"Of course, not!" Petra exclaimed with way too much vigor.

Erwin smirked, raising an eyebrow higher. "Is that really so?"

Petra deflated, casting her eyes down. "Detective Levi is a great professional and I—"

"Petra," Erwin cut her off. "Levi won't get in trouble with me, don't worry. I'm asking as his friend, not as his superior."

"As his friend..." Petra whispered.

"Yes," Erwin nodded. "So if there's something I should know, please tell me. God knows, Levi would never tell me if something bothered him."

"I..." Petra nervously tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I think you should take him off this case. It's clearly too personal for Levi."

"Hm, maybe, you're right," Erwin scratched his chin. "I knew that appointing him to this case would cause some problems..."

"Then why did you? Give him this case?"

Erwin shrugged. "I wanted to see his reaction. To see if he had truly moved on from Hange's death."

That was... that was heartless. But as she stared at Captain's face, she didn't see the cold calculation or simple indifference in his eyes. Only uncertainty and worry. Maybe, it was his weird way of caring about his friend.

"You knew from the beginning, right?" she asked quietly. "That this case would involve detective Zoe?"

"I had a feeling," Erwin agreed. "The murder happened in the same apartment complex she used to live in, after all. Hardly could be a coincidence."

Right... so that's why the witness had recognized Levi. Did he really share an apartment with his partner?

"Forgive my bluntness...” she cleared her throat, gathering all of her courage to maintain a direct eye contact with Captain. “But what was the nature of Levi and detective Zoe's relationship?"

"They were partners," Erwin answered, his jaw set. "In every possible sense of that word.”

“Oh,” if before Petra’s cheeks were rosy, now they turned almost crimson read. She felt stupid for asking such a personal question. Clearly, her partner wasn’t the only one, who was still affected by detective Zoe’s death. “I shouldn’t have asked, I’m so sorry…”

“It’s nothing,” Erwin waved her off. “Levi isn’t the most open of people, so I understand the desire to… get to know him better.”

Petra nodded, although Captain’s words didn’t really help her understand anything. It also didn’t really make Levi’s story any clearer. She still couldn’t piece together what kind of bound existed between Levi and detective Zoe. They clearly were much more than just colleagues. Definitely more than just friends, too. Maybe, they were dating? Or even married? There were many ways in which the world ‘partner’ could be interpreted. Maybe, that’s exactly why Captain Erwin used it.

"By the way, did you finish questioning the witness?" Erwin asked, bringing her back to the present.

"We did," Petra replied, avoiding his gaze. The recent incident in the interrogation room still hung heavily over her head.

"I assume it didn't go that well," Erwin noted.

Petra sighed. "The man that the witness described.... Didn't fit the description of Zeke Yeager."

Erwin covered his eyes with a hand. "So he really is pursuing that theory..." he glanced up at Petra. "What was the description given to you by the witness?"

"Um, according to him, the killer is a tall man with brown and curly hair."

"And what makes you think he described a killer?"

"Huh?"

Erwin straightened out. "Are you absolutely sure that the man that the witness saw was a killer?"

"He went with the victim to her apartment..."

"But we can't know for sure if he was the one to kill her," Erwin said resolutely. "Did the witness say how that man left the building?"

"He finished his shift earlier," Petra answered, feeling more and more confused with each passing moment. “Do you think that someone else killed her?”

“I’m not stating anything,” Erwin replied, evasive as always. “I’m just saying that you can’t be too sure in any of your theories until you actually get some evidence. It narrows your scope.”

“A-aha,” now Petra got it. “Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains must be the truth and all that, right?”

“Yes,” Erwin smiled widely. “Remember these words and you’ll do great at your job.”

“Thank you for the advice,” Petra smiled briefly, before furrowing her eyebrows. Something in Erwin’s words bothered her. Could it be that…

“Captain, do you… do you also think that it was Zeke Yeager, who killed that woman?”

Erwin didn’t answer immediately.

“I know it seems weird for you,” he began with self-deprecating smile. “And I know that Levi may seem like he’s obsessed with catching Zeke, and, maybe, he really is, but… You didn’t know Zeke. He was smart. _Very_ smart. And he liked playing with people. I’m not saying that he’s alive, I’ve seen evidence that very much proved the opposite, but the fact that he’s somewhat involved in that murder is certain. The glasses belonged to Hange, and the blood was hers too. Who else could have gotten it? It’s either one of Zeke’s henchmen, maybe, someone, who seeks revenge for his death, or…” he trailed off, shrugging.

“But the description didn’t match!” Petra tried to argue.

“Wigs exist,” Erwin said simply.

Petra hanged her head. She wanted to protest, wanted to come up with some argument that would destroy this whole outlandish theory. Unfortunately, if Levi and Erwin kept overlooking one small fact that Zeke had died two years ago, she doubted there was anything that would be able to dissuade them.

“Oh, shoot!” Erwin suddenly exclaimed, glancing at his wrist watch. “I’m almost late to a very important meeting!” he got to his feet, gathering the papers on his desk. “Thank you for the company, Petra.”

“The pleasure was all mine,” she smiled prettily, even though her head was still reeling from their conversation.

“Good luck with your case,” Erwin said, as he followed Petra out of his office. “And look over Levi for me, okay? If anything happens, you know where to find me.”

He gave her one last smile and then hurried away. Petra stared at his wide back for a second, and then she pulled herself together, turning around and heading towards her office.

It was about time she got some actual work done.

* * *

To her surprise, when Petra had entered their office, it turned out that Levi wasn't there. She glanced to the side, his coat wasn't hanging on the clothes rack. However... his computer was on, the screen burning brightly in the otherwise dark room.

Petra couldn't take her eyes off that computer. She remembered her first day at work (it seemed almost surreal that it was only yesterday, it felt like weeks has passed) and how Levi was so focused on his computer, as though whatever was on his screen was the most important thing in the world. She remembered her desire to find out what was he working on.

She stepped further into the room, wondering where Levi was right now. He promised Moblit he'd visit the forensics department, maybe, he was there? But why would he need his coat for? And why didn't he turn off his computer?

Petra took another step, her eyes darting to the desk next to Levi's. _Detective Zoe's desk_. It was a little different than yesterday.

There was... There was a pair of glasses lying atop one of the reports. The same glasses they found on the scene of crime, Petra realized, as she saw a crack running through the left lens. But the blood was gone. Whoever cleaned them, did a real good job. Petra had a feeling she knew one particular person, who liked keeping things clean and tidy.

She felt a lump form inside her throat. Two years had passed, and Levi still didn't give up on her, hoping that one day she would come back. Petra couldn't decide if she should admire his loyalty or pity his naivety.

Either way, she hurriedly turned away from that desk. It made her feel melancholic and more than a little depressed.

If the glasses were there, it meant that Levi had already visited Moblit and his team. Where was he now? How much time did she have?

Glancing back, as if to check that Levi wasn't coming back this instant, Petra took a deep breath. And then she swiftly sat down at his desk.

Moving the cursor, she studied his desktop. There wasn’t much on it, just a few folders. She ignored the ones with the obvious contents – the ones named ‘cases’ and ‘reports’. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she saw the folder with a name ‘that fucking asshole’, she almost clicked on it, but then she saw another folder. This one was named ‘Sannes’, and Petra’s breath hitched, as she remembered Levi asking her about him. Could it be… could it be that this folder contained some evidence? The one that could back up Levi’s claim about Sannes’ involvement with criminal underworld? Feeling her pulse fasten, Petra opened the folder.

Well, she _tried_ to open it, because as soon as she clicked on the folder, a new tab opened, requesting a password.

She cursed.

Petra tipped her head back, thinking. What could a man like Levi use as his password?

She typed four zeros and then pressed enter.

‘The password is incorrect. Please try again.’

Of course, it was too naïve to hope that Levi would use something as generic as this. But Petra wasn’t going to give up so soon. She opened the first drawer of his desk, trying to find something that would give her some sort of idea. Petra grinned as she found the old driver license. It was expired, but in the corner Levi’s birth date was written.

_Bingo._

She quickly wrote the numbers and pressed enter, her hands slightly trembling in anticipation of seeing what was inside that folder.

‘The password is incorrect. Please try again.’

Shit. Closing the first drawer, she opened the second. She rummaged through it for a couple of moments, but found nothing, except old autopsy and ballistic reports. Petra groaned – she was starting to get desperate. She closed the second drawer with more force than was necessary, opening the third one. The last one.

It was empty, except— Except an old, tattered photo. Three people were pictured there – Petra immediately recognized Captain Erwin and Levi, even though they looked much younger. A bespectacled woman stood between them, her hands wrapped around both of their shoulders. It must be detective Zoe, Petra guessed, looking at the woman’s wide grin. Detective Zoe wasn’t the only one smiling – there was a delighted beam on Captain Erwin’s lips as well, and even Levi, as weird as it looked, was wearing a small, but satisfied smile.

They looked so joyous here, so… so happy. And now one of them was dead, and two others suffered heavily because of that loss.

She turned the photo around. There was something written on the other side.

_The only time, when your face didn’t look so constipated, shorty! Keep it as a reminder_

“Shorty?” Petra gasped, rereading the small note again. She would never dare to call Levi like that. Most people probably wouldn’t. Hange Zoe was clearly an exception. And it was obvious that Levi took her advice of keeping the photo to heart, the picture looked worn out, as though it was frequently held and looked at.

Shaking head, she tried to regain her focus. She didn’t come here to go through Levi’s stuff. Well, technically, that was exactly what she was doing right now, _but_ she really didn’t mean to pry into his personal life. She did it more than enough today. She needed to guess his password, and, unfortunately, that photo didn’t help her in the least.

But what if…

Biting her lip, Petra bent over the keyboard. She almost finished typing ‘HangeZoe’, when the door handle began to rattle.

Petra jumped in her seat, frantically closing the password window on the screen and hiding the photo back inside the drawer. She wasn’t quick enough to get to her feet, though, the door began to open, as Petra erratically tried to think of some excuse to explain, what she was doing behind Levi’s desk, but nothing was good enough. She could quite clearly picture his furious expression, she already wanted to start apologizing, but then the door was opened completely.

And Petra saw Oluo, standing on the threshold.

“Goddamn it!” she cried out, heart still thumping way too loudly inside her chest. “You scared the shit out of me!”

Oluo frowned. “I have never heard you curse before. And, by the way, isn’t that detective Ackerman’s desk?”

“What are you doing here?” she asked instead, ignoring his last question.

Oluo rolled his eyes arrogantly, all signs of his previous suspicion gone. Petra felt warmth spread through her chest at the sight of his annoying face. Never would she guess, but she missed Oluo terribly.

“Someone wants to see you,” he replied, leaning against the wall. “So finish whatever you were doing at detective Ackerman’s desk and let’s go.”

“Someone?” Petra blinked in surprise. “Who?”

“Djel Sannes,” Oluo told her with puffed out chest. He was clearly proud to receive a command from such important man. “Deputy police chief.”

The folder at Levi’s computer immediately appeared in Petra’s mind. She couldn’t open it and see, what his partner found so suspicious about that man. But, maybe, she could investigate it herself.

She got to her feet, adjusting her blouse and skirt.

“Let’s go then,” she joined Oluo at the doorstep. “Can’t make him wait, right?”

* * *

As they were walking through the precinct’s corridors, Oluo didn’t take his eyes off her even for a second.

“Do I have something on my face?” Petra snapped, feeling uneasy under his gaze.

Oluo hurriedly looked away, his cheeks reddening ever so slightly. “No, of course, you don’t.”

“Then what’s the matter? You’ve been staring at me like I’ve grown a second head or something.”

“You look just fine,” Oluo huffed, still refusing to meet her eyes. “It’s just… you’ve changed.”

“Changed?” Petra let out a surprised chuckle. “People don’t change over a day, dummy.”

“Maybe, change isn’t the right word then, but…” he scowled, annoyed with his inability to express himself clearly. “You carry yourself with more confidence now and at the same time… you look more troubled than I’ve ever seen you.”

Well, she wasn’t sure about her newfound confidence, she felt nothing of the sort, but troubled? That was a vast understatement.

“A lot of stuff happened over these two days.”

“Want to talk about it?”

Oluo’s soft voice caught her off-guard. Petra glanced at him. Oluo was looking back. There was no amusement in his eyes, and his usual smirk was absent as well. He genuinely wanted to help her, Petra realized with a start.

“Yes,” she answered him after a moment, “I would love to talk about it,” she paused, staring straight in Oluo’s eyes. “With you.”

“Oh,” Oluo stopped abruptly, nearly colliding with someone. Petra giggled into her palm. He looked so flabbergasted. To Oluo’s credit, however, it took him only a few seconds to regain his posture. “I k-know a place!” he exclaimed loudly. “I found a new restaurant near the precinct, the food is delicious and it’s really nice p—”

“Alright,” Petra cut him off, still chuckling. “Let’s visit it tomorrow evening. If that works for you?”

“O-of course!”

“Great,” she patted his shoulder, before leaning in to press her lips to his cheek. “Then it’s a date,” she whispered into Oluo’s ear, before walking away, leaving him to stare after her with a dazed smile on his face.

Petra turned the corner and there it was. The door to Djel Sannes’ office. It looked the same as all doors in precinct looked – a sturdy, wooden door. Nothing unusual about it, and yet— and yet Petra’s palms were sweaty. Her heart was beating faster than usual too. Logically, she knew there was nothing to be afraid of, it was just a visit to her superior’s office. She talked with Captain Erwin earlier, and it wasn’t nerve-wracking at all. She would even call it pleasant. And she wasn’t even sure, if there was something wrong with deputy police chief, she had never met him after all. The only thing she knew is that Levi didn’t trust him, but Levi also believed that people, who had died two years ago in the explosion, were alive. His opinion clearly wasn’t the most reliable.

She just needed to get a grip on herself. What had Oluo said to her? She carried herself with more confidence? Well, maybe, the time has come to prove it.

Petra took a deep, calming breath and raised her hand, knocking on the door.

“Come in!” came a deep, booming voice from the other side of the door.

Petra took another breath, and then. She walked in. 

* * *

Deputy police chief’s office, as it turned out, wasn’t much different from Captain Erwin’s. It was a little bigger and his desk was a little fancier, but otherwise it was the same type of office every high-ranked policemen had.

Djel Sannes himself didn’t look as scary as Petra imagined. He looked kind of plain, actually. He was a middle aged man with wide shoulders, neat haircut and clean-shaved face. There were more than a hundred men like him in their precinct.

Petra’s heart rate slowed down a little.

“Detective Ral!” Sannes spread his hands in a welcoming gesture. “I was waiting for you!”

Petra put on a polite smile, sitting down on the opposite side of his desk. “It is an honor, sir. Do you wish to discuss something?”

“Just welcome you on your new position. You’ve been a detective for…”

“Two days,” Petra answered.

“Exactly!” Sannes snapped his fingers. “And we’re seeing each other only now,” he cocked his head to the side, looking at Petra. His expression was still easy, friendly, but his eyes became sharper. Colder. “You’ve been busy, I’ve heard.”

“We were appointed a new case tonight,” Petra nodded, pointedly ignoring the sudden change in Sannes. It was probably her nerves getting to her.

“Yes, a woman was murdered. Do you have any clue who had done it?”

“We are working on it.” Petra said with much more confidence than she actually felt.

“Good, good,” her false bravado had either gone unnoticed by Sannes, or he simply didn’t care enough to call her out on it. “And what about your partner? Detective Ackerman?”

“Um… what about him?”

“I know that man,” Sannes said offhandedly. “To put it mildly… he’s not the easiest person to deal with. Is he bothering you? If he is, don’t hesitate to tell me, I’ll appoint a new partner for you.”

“No, no,” Petra waved her hands. “Detective Ackerman is a very skilled detective. I like working with him.”

Sannes gave her a very skeptic look. “Is that really so? I find it hard to believe, actually.”

He reached over to the drawer, opening it and taking out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply and sitting back in a chair.

“Do you smoke?” he asked Petra, offering her a cigarette.

She silently shook her head. Smoking inside the precinct was prohibited. But obviously Petra decided not to say it out loud.

“I should have fired that man a long time ago,” Sannes took another drag. “I would have done it, if Smith wasn’t so overprotective of him. He always had a soft spot for Ackerman. For him and that partner of his. Surely you’ve heard about her already?” he glanced at Petra, shaking out the ash into the ashtray. “Detective Hange Zoe,” the distain in his voice was so clear, Petra felt uncomfortable. “Between you and me, that woman got what she deserved. She was hot-headed and reckless, and in the end, that’s exactly what had gotten her killed.”

Petra wondered if Sannes had ever shared his thoughts on the matter with Levi. Sannes’ nose didn’t look like it was ever broken and Levi still worked as a detective, so she guessed they never had that particular conversation.

“But you’re not like them,” Sannes said. “You’re not a scheming bastard like Smith, you don’t put your nose where it doesn’t belong to like that Zoe did, and obviously you’re not a psychopath like Ackerman. I like you, Ral,” he grinned approvingly. “We should work together.”

“T-together?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “You help me and I help you.”

Petra honestly couldn’t believe her ears. So Levi was right after all. Although, she still had not even a hint of his connection to criminals, there was no doubt that Djel Sannes, deputy police chief, was a corrupt and malicious man. And it meant that Petra had to choose her words very, very carefully. She couldn’t let him know that she wasn’t on his side.

“And… what do you need my help with, sir?”

“Oh, not much,” Sannes put out his cigarette, the smug smile still present on his face. “Just keep an eye on your partner. If he does something suspicious… well,” he let out a small chuckle. “You know where to find me.”

“That I do,” Petra nodded with a smile she put on to mask her disgust. “Is that everything you’ve wanted to talk about?”

“Yes, that’s all,” he waved his hand carelessly. “You may go, but,” he gave Petra another careful look. “I’ll be expecting to hear from you, Ral.”

“Of course, sir,” she raised to her feet. “I’ll try not to disappoint.”

It was only when Petra was inside her office that she could finally breathe out in relief. With each passing hour, her life was getting more and more complicated. She would never expect deputy police chief to ask her to spy on her partner.

Speaking of which… where was Levi? She hadn’t seen him all day.

Petra’s eyes darted to his computer, but she quickly changed her mind. She had more than enough revelations for one day. She was tired to the bone, too. She glanced at the clock – it was already past six, which meant her shift was finally over.

Grabbing her bag and coat, Petra hurriedly left the precinct. She had a crazy day.

And something told her – tomorrow would be no better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for anyone who's wondering, the password on levi's computer is something like 'hangedontyoudaretouchmystuff'. it took hange only two tries to guess it. levi never changed it, because it was kinda pointelss, since hange would guess it anyway. he doesn't change it after her death, because he's a sad old man :)


	5. Chapter 5

It took two sets of the alarm to wake Petra up the next morning. Still sleepy, she yawned and slowly sat up. Rubbing her eyes, she looked out of the window. The weather was awful - the sky was grey, heavy clouds were hiding the sun and making everything look gloomy. It was raining too, the sound of raindrops, hitting the window, was defining in the otherwise silent apartment.

Petra groaned - she hated the rain. Sure, occasional summer drizzle was enjoyable, but weather like this? The cold and harsh autumn rain? The mighty wind that threatened to blow the umbrella out of her hands and then throw her onto the ground as well? She hated it more than anything.

But, whether she liked it or not, Petra had to go to work. So with a heavy sigh, she got up from the bed, shivering as her bare feet touched the cold floor. Draping a robe over her shoulders, she was going to head to the bathroom. A sound, announcing a new message on her phone, stopped her. She reached for the phone, quickly unlocking it. It was seven in the morning. Who could be messaging her so early?

_Remember the cafe we visited yesterday? I'm waiting for you there. Don't take too long._

So it was from Levi! But didn't he request a day-off? And what was the meaning of his text? Was it his awkward manner of asking her out on a breakfast? Was it his way of apologizing for the failed interrogation?

Whatever it was, Petra wasn't courageous enough to call and ask him about it. She'd get ready quickly and meet him there. Certainly, things would be cleared out then.

After taking a quick shower and putting on a dark blue dress and a striped black jacket, Petra got in a taxi and soon arrived to the cafe.

And as she got out from the car, the small red umbrella as her only protection from the thick rain, Petra felt dread settle in her stomach. There was shivers running down her spine, and they had nothing to do with the droplets of cold water hitting her face.

The cafe. It was surrounded by police cars.

Fearing the worst, she made her way through the crowd of police officers, ignoring the trembling in her knees. Her hand was clutching the umbrella almost painfully. Her heart was beating so loudly, she could barely hear what the others were talking about. Only when she walked up to the entrance and saw Levi, sitting on a curb and comforting the owner of the cafe, that sweet old lady with a kind smile, only then Petra allowed herself to breathe out in relief.

"What happened?" she demanded from Levi, looking around in alarm.

"Another murder," Levi answered curtly. "The body is inside, I've been waiting for you to show up, so we can get a look at it together."

Petra nodded, ready to start the investigation. Before he got to his feet, though, Levi turned around, whispering something to the old woman. His voice was too soft for her to hear, and Petra turned around, giving them at least some semblance of privacy.

"Let's go," he said as he stood next to her.

"Detective," the woman called, before Levi and Petra disappeared inside. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

For a second, hurt flashed in Levi's eyes. He reached out and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry for yours too, Dorothy."

The woman, Dorothy, looked so sad, so weary and tired. Petra's heart clenched painfully, as she was reminded of her own mother, who had died years ago.

"We'll find the killer," Petra promised her heartily. Levi turned his gaze on her, but Petra didn't let it steer her. She stared straight at Dorothy. "We'll find him and bring him to justice."

The old woman smiled weakly, but genuinely. "Thank you, dear," she whispered softly. "It means a lot."

Petra smiled back, but before she could give Dorothy a reply, she was roughly dragged away by Levi.

"Never give promises you're not sure you can keep," he said sternly.

"But I—"

"You're right, though," Levi continued, cutting her off. "We'll catch that bastard. I'll do whatever it takes to ensure that."

Without sparring her another glance, Levi pushed the door to the cafe open, walking inside.

* * *

As soon as they entered, a short red-headed woman approached them.

"Detective Ackerman!" she exclaimed, clearly surprised. "Why are you here? Isn't today your day-off? Today is the anniversary of—"

"I know what day it is," Levi gritted through his teeth. "But we've got a dead body in the cafe. So, maybe, you would be so kind as to walk us through the case, Nifa?"

"Ah, of course, I'm sorry,” Nifa pursed her lips, looking up at Levi with caution. But then she sighed, taking out two pairs of sterile gloves and handing them to Petra and Levi. She straightened out and started leading them to the scene of crime.

"The woman, waitress, had her throat slashed, just like the previous victin. According to the owner of the cafe, the waitress had a night shift and was supposed to be working till seven am. At a little past six, the owner came to help with preparing for a morning rush and that's when she had found the body. She called the police and we arrived at half past six. Judging by the rigor mortis, the victim was killed approximately three or four hours ago. There," she gestured at one of the booths, where a woman sat, her head lying on the table.

The first thing Petra noticed about the victim was the yellow jacket that was draped over her shoulders. She wasn’t surprised by its flamboyant, cheerful color, or the fact that it looked like it was put over the victim after her death, no, it was the state of the jacket. The color definitely was bright and vivid before, but now it was covered with dust and soot. The hem and sleeves looked torn and ragged. It seemed as though... the jacket was burned.

Next to her, Levi took a sharp intake of breath.

"We don't know for sure yet!" Nifa blurted out, seeing the expression on Levi's face. "We'll need to search for DNA or—"

"No, it's Hange's," he murmured. His hand was slightly trembling, as he reached out to gently stroke the dirty clothe. His eyes were filled with affection and his lips curled into almost a smile, as gazed at it. “Only that idiot could wear such an ugly jacket.”

Petra and Nifa exchanged a worried gaze.

"That bastard," Levi growled a second later, all signs of that softness gone. He squeezed the hand on his side so much, his knuckles turned white. "He's playing with me again. Fucking asshole,” he spat, his eyes burning with rage. “Well, he can play as much he wants, I'll catch him anyway. And then I'll make him pay." Levi paused, lowering his head and taking a deep breath. Then he looked up, fixing Nifa with sharp gaze. "What else did you manage to find?"

"Not much," she answered honestly. "We couldn't find any fingerprints or other signs of the killer. The victim obviously didn't put up a fight, there is nothing under her fingernails and the only visible injury is the cut on her throat."

"Could she be dragged like the previous victim?" Petra asked.

"Possibly," Nifa nodded. "We'll determine it for sure at the lab. The killer obviously tried to keep this scene of crime as clean as the previous one, but we found traces of blood on victim's blouse and skirt."

"Is there any blood on the jacket?" Levi questioned.

"There is blood," Nifa confirmed. "But it's not fresh. We’ll need to run tests at the lab. To find out, whether the blood belongs to the victim, or...” she paused, staring at Levi apologetically.

“Or if it is Hange’s,” he finished for her. “Well, whatever you find, it’s probable that the jacket was put on the victim after her death."

Petra nodded, satisfied with herself. She came to the same conclusion.

"What about security cameras? Did they manage to catch something?"

"There are no security cameras inside the cafe, but we are still looking for them in surrounding areas."

"Alright," Levi concluded. "We'll take it from here. Let's go and ask around," he told Petra. "Maybe, we'll find a witness."

"Wait a second," Petra stopped Levi with a hand on his sleeve. Her eyes were still focused on that jacket.

It looked like....

Petra quickly put on sterile gloves and carefully tugged at one side of the jacket, revealing the inner layer. Just as she thought, there was something in the inside pocket.

A note.

Grinning victoriously, she took it out. The smile disappeared from her face as soon as she read the contents. Her heart missed a beat as soon as she read the contents.

Levi snatched the note out of her hands before Petra could begin to tremble.

"What is this shit?" he muttered, looking at the note. " _You'd better stop looking for me, detective. Or the next souvenir I'll bring you will belong to your new partner_ ," Levi cursed as he finished reading the note aloud. He crumbled the piece of paper in his fist, clenching his jaw.

Petra watched him with a detached face. The edges of her vision began to swim, as the words, written in that note, kept replaying in her head, ringing louder than the noise around her. Her limbs grew limp and her heart rate quickened, as she fruitlessly tried to breathe.

Even though, it didn't happen to her ever since she graduated high school, Petra could never forget the symptoms, the way her body felt in the beginning of a panic attack.

She tried to take a grip on herself, remember the lessons her father taught her. But his words, his wise advices kept escaping her, getting out of her reach before Petra could piece them together.

Her father always said, he always said that in situations like this the most important thing was to... was to…

" _Breathe_ ," Levi's gruff voice penetrated through the fog around Petra. "Petra, you just need to _breathe_ , c'mon," he gently but firmly squeezed her shoulders. "In and out, slowly," he instructed her patiently.

After Petra managed a couple of calm exhales and inhales, Levi sighed in relief. "Here," he pressed on her shoulder to sit her down at a chair. Immediately, Nifa appeared with water and granola bar in her hands.

"Are you alright?" she asked, genuinely worried.

"Yeah..." Petra nodded shakily, avoiding looking at Nifa and especially Levi. She felt like an idiot. It was just some stupid note, and she almost fainted because of it. What a badass detective she was. "Sorry for worrying you."

"I understand if you want to drop this case," Levi told her, surprisingly soft.

"No!" Petra jumped from her sit. Nifa, who was hovering over her and measuring her pulse, gave Levi an angry look. "I just overreacted, but I'll be fine, I promise! I can take it!"

Levi watched her for a long moment, his eyes skeptic and doubtful.

"I can't always be there to protect you."

"I know.”

"And yet you still want to continue the investigation?"

"Yes," Petra answered without hesitation.

Levi kept staring in her eyes, as though searching for a sign of doubt. When he couldn't see any, he sighed and shook his head.

"There is nothing I can say that would change your mind, right?"

Petra nodded with a smile.

Levi cursed under his breath. "Tell me when you're ready. Rest for a while, and then we'll start the search."

"I can handle the investigation by myself today," Petra offered. "It's your day off after all."

Levi frowned. "I shouldn't leave you alone."

"I can go with her!" Nifa cheerfully exclaimed, putting a hand on Petra's shoulder.

"Don't you have to be at the lab?" Levi asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Nah," Nifa waved her hand. "I already came here at half past six, the boys can take care of the rest. Besides!" she turned to Petra. "I always wanted to take part in investigation. Oh, we're going to have so much fun!"

Petra couldn't keep a smile off her face, Nifa's excitement was infectious.

"Fine," Levi rolled his eyes. "Go together, but be careful. Do you have a gun, Petra?"

"Of course."

"And my phone number?"

"Yes."

“Good, if you see anything strange or suspicious, call me immediately. Deal?"

"Deal," Petra agreed. And before Levi left, she reached out to him. "Can we talk before you go?" she threw an apologizing look in Nifa's direction. "In private."

Levi tensed ever so slightly, but nodded without hesitation. "We'll be back soon," he said to Nifa and then turned around, leading Petra out of the cafe.

Before they left, he grabbed the granola bar Nifa brought to Petra.

Navigating through the crowd of policemen and curious pedestrians, Levi reached to his car. He opened the passenger door, gesturing for Petra to get in. Then he sat down in the driver's seat.

"Eat," he ordered, thrusting a granola bar into her hand. "And talk."

"Djel Sannes asked me to spy on you," Petra blurted out, shutting her eyes tightly. She was afraid to look at Levi's face. What if he gets angry? What if he is disappointed? What if he stops trusting her?

"Oh," Levi breathed out, surprisingly calm. "I didn't expect that. Did you agree?"

"What!" Petra opened her eyes widely. "Of course, not!" she exclaimed, but then paused, remembering their conversation with Sannes. Technically... "Well, truth be told, I did agree... But only to fool him! I'm not going to report anything to him!"

"You should," Levi said, shocking Petra even more.

"I... I don't understand."

Levi tiredly rubbed his forehead. "I need to discuss it with Erwin first, and I know I'm asking a lot of you..."

"Nonsense!" Petra cried out. "I'm on your side! And I really want to help!"

"Thank you," Levi told her earnestly. His eyes were a little softer than usual. It made Petra feel warmer.

"After what I just revealed..." she began uncertainly. “You still trust me? I could be working for him actually."

"No, you couldn't," Levi answered without an ounce of a doubt.

"And what makes you so sure?"

"Because you're a good person, Petra. And," a little smirk appeared on his lips. "You are a terrible liar."

Petra let out a surprised chuckle. She looked at Levi, feeling her smile grow wider. "So... What do you need me to do?"

"As I said, I need to talk with Erwin first, but... we could make a double agent out of you. You'll give Sannes some false information and then tell me his reaction. I need to know how much he knows."

"You can count on me!" Petra cheerfully promised. A moment later, however, a little frown appeared on her face. “By the way… why does he hate you so much?”

For a long moment, Levi was silent. His fingers drummed rhythmically at the steering wheel, as he appeared deep in thought. Petra was starting to think she won’t get her answers, but then Levi turned to look at her, staring right into her eyes.

“The trust should go both ways, I suppose,” he said. “I... found an informant. I don’t know who they are and I’ve never met them, but every once in a while, they bring me little messages with information. It’s the location of Sannes’ next deal, or a name of some politician who was bribed by him... that kind of stuff.”

“And these messages… they turn out to be true?”

“Every goddamn time. Sometimes I act on them, do whatever I can to stop Sannes’ dealings. Not always, of course, or Sannes would have me removed a long time ago. But he still suspects me, I guess.”

“Oh.” That was a lot to digest. " _Oh_!" Petra repeated, suddenly remembering. "Nifa is probably waiting for me! I should hurry!"

"Be careful!" Levi told her as she opened the door. "Don't forget to eat," he pointed with his chin at the granola bar she was still holding. "And call me if anything goes wrong, okay?"

"Of course!" Petra waved at him, and then ran back to the cafe.

Despite the worrying information Levi had revealed to her, she felt giddy and relieved, as she maneuvered between the pedestrians under the still going rain. He _trusted_ her. Maybe, they’d be able to become real partners after all.

* * *

"I'm going to be honest with you," Nifa mumbled after taking a bite from a chocolate cake. "Today kinda sucked. I always thought that detective work was more exciting that just going around and asking people the same few questions."

Petra sighed. She felt exactly the same. They've spent the majority of the day, trying to find some witnesses, but were met with failure after failure. Now she and Nifa sat in break room at the forensics department, drinking tea and eating cake. Moblit was right after all, their tea collection was more than impressive. And Nifa's pastries were delicious.

“I'm sorry that I've dragged you into this," she told Nifa. "You're probably regretting your decision to accompany me."

"Oi, don't be ridiculous. It wasn't as thrilling as I hoped, but it was still better than being stuck in here."

"Huh?" Petra frowned. “You don't like working here?"

"No, don't get me wrong," Nifa answered. "I love my job, but I spend day after day, surrounded by dead bodies, and, more terribly, three boring nerds," she pointed to Moblit, Abel and Keiji, who were discussing something at the other side of the room. "So thank you for taking me with you," she smiled prettily. "I hope we'll become friends!"

"I would like that," Petra smiled back. Nifa was really nice. She would _love_ to be friends with a woman like her.

"I hate to interrupt, ladies," Abel approached them. "But we'll be starting the dissection soon, so..."

Nifa groaned. "What do you need me to do?"

"No, no," Abel assured her with a nervous smile. "The three of us are more than enough for the job, but detective Ral probably isn't as used to smell as we are."

"Oh, of course, I didn't think about it. C'mon," Nifa took Petra's hand, dragging her upwards. "Let's go to your office then. I know where detective Ackerman hides his precious tea stash."

"You want to steal his tea? Won't we get in trouble with him?" Petra fretted, following Nifa out of the break room and up the stairs.

"Don't worry. If your partner wants to yell at me, he'll need to come down here first. Which I doubt he’ll do."

"I thought he visited your department a lot," Petra said with no small deal of confusion.

"Only when he needs an autopsy report or for us to look over some evidence. And he never stays for long."

"Oh."

"It wasn't like that before," Nifa noted sadly. "Before..."

"Detective Zoe's death?"

"Yeah,” Nifa shook her head. “Before that he frequently visited our department. He always complained about the smell," a wistful smile appeared on Nifa's face. "But usually, whenever detective Hange went, detective Ackerman followed. She always managed to bring him out of his shelf. Wait!" Nifa took out a phone from her lab coat. "You really need to see this!” she pushed Petra into an empty hallway, all the while searching for something on her phone.

"Found it!" she exclaimed, thrusting the phone in Petra's hands. She pressed play and cocked her head, hovering above the phone alongside Petra.

A video started to play. Whoever was recording it had really shaky hands, and the image wasn't in a good quality, but it was obvious that it was recorded in some kind of a bar.

"I took it two years ago. We just finished one extremely troublesome case and decided to celebrate with a night of karaoke," Nifa explained, as the camera focused on a small stage.

Three people were standing there, their hands wrapped around each other, as they struggled to keep themselves upright. One person in particular seemed painfully familiar.

"Is that..." Petra gasped, not quite believing her eyes.

"Yes, it's detective Ackerman, Сaptain Erwin and detective Hange," Nifa snickered, watching Petra's shocked expression.

Meanwhile, the first notes of "Don't Stop Believing" started playing. Immediately, Captain Erwin and detective Hange started singing. Erwin's voice was deep, and unsurprisingly, quite nice. However, the effect was somewhat ruined by his extensive slurring. Detective Zoe, on the other hand, wasn’t actually singing. It was more like she was _screaming_ the lyrics into the microphone.

As soon as he noticed that Levi wasn't singing along with them, Captain Erwin nudged him. However, it had no effect at the other man, so Erwin redirected his gaze at Hange. She glanced at Levi and scowled, elbowing him in the side.

Someone in the background shouted "Detective Ackerman, don't be shy!", and Hange elbowed him again, leaning in to whisper something in his ear. Levi rolled his eyes and tugged Hange by the shirt down to his level, so he could reply to her. Whatever he had said made Hange threw her head back and laugh. For a moment, Levi was staring up at her, seemingly mesmerized, but then he shook his head and started singing. He was barely heard, since Captain Erwin's and Hange's voices were so much louder, but there was a soft look in his eyes and a small smile on his lips, as he watched his friends.

"I can't believe that it's the same Levi I know," Petra confessed after the video was finished.

"You should have seen him and detective Hange doing a power duet to “I Was Made For Loving You”. That was _something,_ ” Nifa giggled again. “Too bad I was too drunk to record it. So yeah,” she said, hiding the phone back into her pocket. "Detective Hange had an uncanny ability to make your partner more fun."

"Yeah, I wish I could see him act like this..."

"Oh gosh! I'm sorry for putting the mood down! Let's change the subject!" Nifa linked her hand with Petra's, as they started walking again. "Do you know any interesting gossip?"

"G-gossip?"

"Ah, I can see that you don't," Nifa shook her head in disappointment. "Alright then! Do you have a crush on someone from the precinct?"

"What!" Petra's cheeks flamed up. "Of course, not!"

"Liar," Nifa sang. "C’mon, you can tell me! I won't tell anyone!"

And before Petra could deny it any further, she noticed Oluo on the other side of the hallway. He noticed her too. Smiling happily, he hurriedly made his way to her and Nifa.

"Petra!" he greeted. "You didn't change your mind?"

"Of course, not," Petra assured him, ignoring Nifa's curious gaze.

"Awesome, I'll pick you up at seven!" Oluo’s smile grew wider. He waited for Petra to smile back and then left, still grinning from ear to ear.

"It looks like I've got my answer," Nifa's voice was full of smugness. "For how long have you been dating?"

"It's our first date," Petra revealed, deciding that it was easier to just tell Nifa everything she wanted to know.

"First date? How romantic! What are you going to wear?"

"Er," Petra glanced down at her dress. "I was actually going to wear this..."

"No!" Nifa's hands flew to her face. "You can't just come in your work clothes! Absolutely not! Change of plans," she announced, as she turned around, dragging Petra along with her. "We're going shopping."

"But! It's only three o'clock! Our shift has not ended!"

"Calm down," Nifa rolled her eyes. "No one will notice if we leave earlier. Besides, we've done a lot of work today. We deserve some rest."

"But—"

"No buts!" Nifa ordered with a strict face. "We need to hurry, you don't have much time left. It's your first date! Everything should be perfect!"

Petra surrendered with a sigh. Obviously, there was no point in arguing with Nifa. She obediently followed after her new friend.

* * *

"Look at you!" Nifa cooed, as she finished painting Petra's lips. "You're so pretty! Honestly, I'm starting to envy that Oluo guy. If the date ends up being horrible... well," she winked with a sly smile. "I can always make it better."

"Stop it!" Petra playfully smacked Nifa’s shoulder, blushing furiously.

"It's just an offer," Nifa shrugged. "But seriously, he'd be the biggest idiot in the world, if he doesn't ask you out on a second date," turning Petra around to face full-length mirror, Nifa smiled softly. "You look gorgeous, Petra."

"I..." Petra stared at her reflection, eyeing it critically. She wore a knee-length blue dress. It was simple, but the color accentuated her eyes nicely. Her hair was put up in a small bun with a few strands failing at the side of her face. She had to admit it - she looked good. "Thank you. It's all your doing."

"Nah, I didn't do anything."

"Don't say that!" Petra protested with a strict face. "You took me out for shopping, you helped me pick the dress, you even helped me with make-up and hair!"

"Alright, alright, I accept your gratitude," Nifa smirked cheekily. "And now I take my leave. Your date will be here soon," she turned around, walking out of Petra's room and heading to the front door.

"I had a lot of fun today," Petra admitted, while Nifa was putting on her coat. "We should do this more often."

"Absolutely," Nifa nodded in agreement. "Good luck with your date," she gave Petra a quick hug. "And be careful."

"Of course," Petra promised, returning the hug heartily. "Thank you once again."

"You really need to stop thanking me so much," Nifa scolded, but then smile was back on her face. She waved her hand. "Goodbye!" 

Petra closed the door after her, and then walked back to her bedroom. She checked herself in the mirror once again. She nodded to her reflection, more than satisfied with her attire. Then she grabbed her purse, putting phone, keys and lipstick inside. Her gaze darted to a drawer, where her gun was hidden. Maybe, she should take it? Petra almost refused this idea, normal people don't bring a gun on a date. But then again, normal people don't receive death threats.

 _No one would know that I have it_ , she tried to reason with herself, _but it would make me feel safer_.

Ignoring the sensible part of her, Petra swiftly put the gun inside. She closed the purse, and then the doorbell rang. 

She hurried to the front door, opening it. Oluo stood on the other side, holding a bouquet of daisies and smiling shyly.

"For you," he said, awkwardly handing her the flowers. He desperately avoided looking at her face. Petra smiled, charmed by his bashfulness.

"Thank you so much," she leaned in to give him a small peck on his cheek. The skin there immediately reddened. Petra giggled, as she took the flowers from his hands. Oluo's eyes instantly snapped to look at her.

He gasped.

"You look..." he cleared his throat, tugging nervously at the collar of his dark red shirt. "Good. Yes, v-very, um, good."

"You don't look so bad yourself," Petra looked him up and down, smirking slightly, when she saw that the blush on Oluo's face became a deeper shade of red, almost in tone to his shirt. She turned around to find a vase for the flowers. "Just a moment, please! I'm almost ready!"

"Just don't take _too_ long," Oluo huffed. "We have a reservation."

The smile didn’t leave Petra’s face while she was putting the flowers into a vase. It seemed like the good old Oluo was back. Of course, she enjoyed watching his embarrassed face, but, as weird as it was, she liked his usual self much, much more.

Huh, Petra mused, as Oluo helped her put on a coat and she felt her heart rate increase, when their fingers brushed against each other, she really liked that idiot. Who could have thought?  
  


* * *

"...And that's how I ended up cleaning the entirety of Erd's apartment," Oluo concluded, hanging his head in defeat.

“You really should stop making bets with him,” Petra rolled her eyes. “He’s clearly smarter than you.”

“Oi!” Oluo cried out, offended.

Looking at his pouting face, Petra started laughing. Gosh, she had never felt so relaxed while on a date. Usually, she was anxious, picking her words very carefully, worrying about her posture and make-up. But being on a date with Oluo was easy, talking and joking and teasing was almost natural. She didn’t remember the last time she enjoyed herself so much.

“So, now that I’ve told you all the embarrassing stuff that happened to me over the weekend,” Oluo drank from his glass of wine and looked expectantly at Petra. “What were you up to?”

“Well, you know,” she self-consciously tucked a stray lock of hair behind ear. “This and that.”

“C’mon!” he nudged her leg under the table. “You’re a detective now! And a partner of Levi Ackerman himself. Spill it out, Petra. How does it feel working with him? Is he as badass as everyone says he is?”

“He’s an ace detective, that’s for sure,” Petra said, remembering her first day and the way Levi cracked the case even before she went to question the suspect. "But sometimes..." Petra stared at her plate, mindlessly tossing the food around. "Sometimes I feel like he looks at me and sees someone else, you know? And he gets frustrated when that illusion is shattered."

"Oh. That must be tough for you," Oluo reached out and covered her hand with his.

"No, no, it's fine," Petra put on a smile. Oluo's gentle touch made her feel all fuzzy inside. "Despite all of this, I like working with Levi. He's really great at what he does. There is a lot I can learn from him."

"What about your case, though? I've heard it's really messed up."

"I..." Petra faltered, not knowing where to begin.

"You don't have to tell me, of course!" Oluo blurted out with a panicked expression, mistaking her uncertainty for unwillingness. "I mean, it's probably confidential and…"

"No, it's not that," Petra assured him. "You're not a civilian after all, and, besides, I trust you," Oluo's eyes softened at her words and he squeezed her hand a little tighter. Petra sent him a grateful look. "I just... it's so complicated, but maybe, you can help me. See something that I don't, you know?"

"Alright," Oluo nodded with determined face. "Tell me about it."

"So the whole case revolves around detective Hange Zoe? Levi's previous partner. On both scenes of murder, we found evidence that's directly linked to her... The glasses were confirmed to be hers, and Levi recognized her jacket that was draped over today's victim... And both scenes of crimes, the apartment complex and that little café, play a big role too. It’s clear that these places were important for Hange, and… for Levi. And!" Petra put her hands into her hair, getting more frustrated as she recalled more details from the case. "There are so many things that make no goddamn sense! Where do Zoe's things come from? What does the killer want from Levi?

Petra took a deep breath and then continued.

“And another thing! The first scene of the crime was meticulously cleaned, the woman had her throat slashed, but there was no sign of blood. The second was mostly clean, too, but blood wasn't cleaned out from the victim's clothes. So the killer goes out of his way to ensure that the scene of murder is clean, but he's clearly not obsessed with it. Then what is his deal? Is it just a habit? Why does he do that? Ah, just thinking about it makes my head spin! There is so much I don't understand."

Petra took a large gulp of wine, avoiding Oluo’s eyes. She probably told him too much, burdened him with her work problems. The first date shouldn’t go like this. You shouldn’t talk about murders. And to think that she didn’t even mention the most disturbing thing – the today’s note!

"Hey..." Oluo began to gently caress her hand. Petra looked up at him, and was shocked to see a proud smile on his face. "Don't beat yourself over it. You haven't made much progress, but you're trying. And, I think, you're asking all the right questions. Now all you need to do is to find answers."

"And that's the hardest part," Petra muttered bitterly.

"Maybe," Oluo agreed. "But you're smart, Petra, and, god knows, you're stubborn. You can do this. I believe in you."

"Oluo..." Petra whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "Thank you so much. I... I really needed to hear it today."

"Oi, c'mon, don't start crying on me," he bent over the table, wiping tears from her face. "You’re not crying, because the date is so terrible, right?"

"No," Petra shook her head, chuckling. "The date is perfect."

"So that's a guaranteed yes for a second one?" Oluo asked with a smirk on his face that was clearly put there to mask his nervousness.

"You know what?" Petra smiled widely. "That's a guaranteed yes for the third date too."

"Yes!" Oluo pumped his fist in the air, attracting attention from all the patrons at the restaurant. Some looked at him with amusement, while other's eyes were filled with annoyance.

"Now let's eat our delicious dinner," Oluo told her, already stuffing his face with pasta. "Now that I'm not afraid that my awful table etiquette will push you away."

"Oluo," Petra smirked. "We've worked at the same office for years. I already know that you eat like a pig."

"And yet you agreed to a date with me."

"And yet I did," she answered with a sweet smile.

* * *

"Don't take me home," Petra said, as Oluo started the car. He froze with his hand still on the ignition key, staring at her with an opened mouth and wide eyes.

"No!" Petra cried out, as it dawned on her, how Oluo might have interpreted her words. "I need to go to the precinct, and not, um, you know…"

"Thank god," Oluo muttered, as he drove out of the parking lot and onto the street. "Not that I'm against it!" he quickly added. "But let's not move too fast, yeah?"

"Yes," Petra smiled, happy that she and Oluo were on a same page.

"Wait a minute," Oluo fixed her with a suspicious gaze. "What are you going to do at a precinct? It's almost nine pm!”

"I was hoping... to get some work done?" Petra answered sheepishly. "Your words... kinda motivated me."

“Well, of course, they did. I’m an awesome guy,” Oluo said with a pride smirk that made Petra roll her eyes. He was absolutely ridiculous. But, good lord, did she like him. “But shouldn’t you go home and rest? Can they even let you in at that time?”

“If I tell them I need to work, I’m sure the security will gladly let me in. Besides, I’m not going to spend the whole night there, don’t worry. I’ll just look over the autopsy report and then head home.”

“Promise?” Oluo briefly looked away from the road to give Petra a careful look.

“Promise,” she replied, feeling her heart skip a bit. Oluo’s concern, even it was really unnecessary, was extremely endearing.

“Fine,” Oluo huffed. “Go and do your job, you workaholic,” he stopped in front of a precinct and hurried to get out, so he could open the door for Petra.

“Text me, when you get home, okay?” he took Petra by the hand, helping her get out of the car.

“Of course,” she said, reaching out to press a brief kiss on his lips. “I’ll be waiting for our next date,” she whispered, enjoying the dazed look on his face.

Still smiling from ear to ear, Petra entered the precinct.

* * *

That same dreamy smile was still present on her lips, as Petra made her way through the precinct. She reached the hallway, where their office was.

And the smile disappeared instantly. A cautious, almost worried expression took its place.

There was a light coming underneath the door to their office.

Who could be inside at such hour? Was it Levi? But it was his day off.

It didn't make sense.

Petra slowly reached into her purse and took out a phone, her eyes never leaving that little shimmer of light. With trembling fingers she dialed Levi's number. One beep... two... Petra anxiously waited to hear Levi's ringtone on the other side of the door.

The hallway was silent.

"Petra?" Levi's voice in her ear made Petra jump. She hurriedly backed away, taking a few steps away from the door. "Petra, do you hear me? Is everything alright?"

"There is someone in our office right now," she whispered. "It's not you, is it?"

"What the fuck are you doing at the precinct at night?" Levi asked angrily.

“I wanted to do some work…”

“Jesus—” it was obvious that Levi was pissed and wanted to yell at her, but he took a deep breath, calming himself down. "Doesn't matter now," he added in his normal voice. "I'll be there in ten minutes. Wait for me and don't go in there, understood?"

"Y-yes," Petra answered shakily.

"Don't do anything stupid." Levi warned and then ended the call.

Putting the phone back into the purse, Petra carefully took out a gun.

Levi would be there in ten minutes. It wasn't that long. She could wait for him. It would be a smart choice.

Unfortunately, Petra wasn't feeling particularly smart tonight. She gripped the gun more securely and quietly made her way towards the door. The clicking could be heard inside, as though someone was typing on a computer.

Petra narrowed her eyes, feeling angry. She just couldn't let some stranger, _probably a criminal_ , go through their stuff. It was _illegal_. And her job was to protect the law. So ignoring her trembling knees, Petra busted the door open and immediately aimed her gun at the intruder.

Their face was obscured by strands of hair, as they stared intently at the computer screen.

"Freeze!" Petra shouted. Thankfully, her voice didn't waver.

It didn't, however, have much of an effect on the stranger. They continued typing something with an impressive speed. They didn't spare even a single glance in Petra's direction.

"I said _freeze!_ " she repeated with more force.

"And what happens if I don't?" they asked in a deep voice, still not lifting their face. "Will you shoot me?"

"Breaking into detective's office is illegal!"

"Technically," the intruder finally looked up. Petra gasped as she took a good look on their face. The hand with a gun fell limply at her side. "It was my office too. Still is, considering that my desk is unoccupied."

Unbelievable. _Impossible._

She looked a little different from the woman on the photo Petra found in Levi's desk. She looked older and more tired. There were wrinkles on her face. Her shoulders were slumped, as though an invisible force was dragging her down. There were deep, almost black circles under her eyes— well, _eye_. Her left one was covered with a black patch.

But even with all those changes, there was no doubt in Petra's mind as to who was sitting behind Levi’s desk.

"...D-detective Zoe?" Petra uttered, staring at Hange with wide eyes.

"Oh, they still remember me in here," Hange noted with a self-satisfied grin. "That's flattering."

"Y-you're alive?"

Hange chuckled, her eye sparkling with amusement. "You have excellent observation skills, detective."

"B-but! How?!" Petra cried out, ignoring the jab.

"Ah, that's quite a boring story. A really long one too, and, unfortunately, I'm in a hurry."

"Wait! You can't leave just yet! Levi— y-you have to see him. He'll be so happy to find out that you're still alive!"

The smile slipped from Hange's lips instantly.

"No," she said coldly. "He can't see me. And you can't tell him that you've met me, Petra."

"How do you know my name?" Petra asked with a deep, suspicious frown. She was sure she didn't introduce herself.

Hange turned her face away. "I know a lot of things," she nervously fixed her glasses. "I... watch over him."

"So you still care about Levi!" Petra pointed an accusing finger at her. "Then why don't you want to meet him?"

"I have my reasons," she sounded strained, almost desperate. It seemed like— seemed like Hange wasn't trying to convince Petra. She was trying to convince _herself._

It was obvious that Hange wanted to reunite with Levi. Petra could see that desire in the poorly hidden pain at the bottom of her brown eye. In the hard line of her mouth. In her palms that squeezed the edge of Levi's desk so hard her knuckles turned white.

And it was obvious that there was something keeping her away from acting on that desire. Some conspiracy Petra couldn't even begin to understand. Some plot, set in motion long before Petra became a detective. Possibly even before Hange's ‘death’. But she didn't care about that. Nothing mattered for Petra as much as the sadness in Levi's eyes and her wish to make him happy.

Besides, whether Hange wanted to meet him or not, it wasn't important anymore. That choice was made the moment Petra crossed the threshold.

"Levi will be here soon," Petra stared straight at Hange. "I called him before entering the office."

"No!" Hange's face twisted with panic. "Why would you do that? Fuck, I need to go," she glanced back at the computer, typed a few more words and then rose to her feet.

She wanted to leave. Petra couldn't allow it.

She raised her gun, aiming it at Hange.

"He misses you so much," Petra whispered softly, trying to plead with Hange. "Please, just let him see you. Let him know that you're alive."

"No, I can't, no, _not now_ ," Hange ran a shaking hand through her hair. "I have to go."

She took a step forward, seemingly undisturbed by the fact that Petra's gun was trained at her.

"I can't let you go," Petra firmly planted her legs, staring up at Hange defiantly.

"What?" Hange lifted an eyebrow, giving Petra an unimpressed look. "Are you going to shoot me?"

"I won't hurt you," Petra promised. "But I'll do whatever it takes to make you stay."

"Oh, Petra," Hange shook her head. "You're a sweet, sweet soul. And it pains me to do this, but if you don't let me through, I'll have to fight you. And I _will_ hurt you."

Petra anticipated that answer. She also knew that in a fight against Hange Zoe, she didn't have a single chance. It wasn't her wide shoulders, or muscles that were showing even beneath the oversized green shirt. It was years and years of experience that separated them. Hange was skilled, she was _smart_.

But Petra didn't have to win this fight, just hold out until Levi arrives.

Hange moved fast, so fast Petra was barely able to take a fight stance. She tossed the gun onto the floor and raised her arms, thinking that Hange would hit her in the face. But Hange approached her and laid her hand on Petra's shoulder. She was going to throw her onto the ground, Petra realized, but it was too late to move away. Hange lifted her leg, meaning to kick Petra.

She wasn't quick enough.

Their struggle was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. Hange tensed immediately, squeezing Petra's shoulder painfully.

" _No_." she whispered, her eyes filled with panic.

"Petra!" Levi shouted behind the door. “Where are you?”

"I'm here!" she screamed back, watching Hange carefully. All color left her face and her breath quickened, as she watched the door.

"Petra!" Levi threw the door open. "I told you not to fucking go… inside."

Levi's hand remained on a doorknob, as he froze on a spot, his eyes wide and mouth open.

"P-petra?" after several seconds of looking at Hange, he turned to her. His gaze, which usually held so much indifference, was now filled with implore. Petra helplessly stared back, not knowing what to say. Not knowing what Levi needed to hear.

"It's me," Hange said, understanding what Levi needed without words. "It’s really me."

" _Hange_ ," Levi breathed out. His voice was filled with so much relief and happiness. He ran to her, almost knocking her to the ground. Instantly his arms circled around Hange, as he held her in an almost suffocating embrace.

It must have been painful, Petra thought. But Hange didn't seem to care. She wrapped her hands around Levi just as tightly.

“Please tell me this is not a dream,” Levi asked in a shaking whisper. He lifted his head to stare at Hange. “Please tell me you’re really here.”

“I’m here, Levi,” Hange replied, almost choking as she said his name. “I’m here, _with you_.”

"You are alive,” Levi spoke fervently in her shirt. "Hange, you really are alive, I can’t believe it."

Hange moved one hand to Levi's head, stroking his hair gently. "You can't get rid of me that easily, shorty."

Levi softly chuckled, not making a single move to untangle himself from Hange.

They would probably stay like this for a very long time, Petra concluded. They more than deserved it. And they also deserved some privacy.

So Petra picked up the gun that was still lying on the ground and then quietly walked out of the room.

Before she closed the door, she threw one last glance at the still embracing couple.

So that was Hange Zoe, huh? A person, who can make Levi come completely undone with just her presence?

Petra smiled to herself. These two suffered for so long. She was glad that they finally managed to find each other again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, nifa lowkey tried to hit on petra. that's the most exciting thing that happened this chapter, right?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you guys for so much feedback!!!! i'm so happy to know that y'all are enjoying this story!!!! hope you'll enjoy this chapter too (content warning: this one is full of levihan lmao)

Levi's fingers moved over Hange's body, as he checked and rechecked the fasting of her bulletproof vest. They were inside a police van, making the last preparations for their mission to capture Zeke.

“Stop fussing over me already,” Hange complained. “I’m more than capable of putting on a vest, you know.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” he mumbled.

“Oi, c’mon!” Hange cried out. “It was one time! I didn’t properly fasten that damn thing one fucking time!”

“And you got shot,” Levi gritted through teeth.

“I was trying to save you, dipshit. You should be thanking me, not harassing about that little mistake every time we go on a mission.”

“You could have died, four-eyes. So forgive me for worrying about your safety. One of us has to.”

Hange rolled her eyes. Levi could be so dramatic sometimes. Luckily, she knew just the thing to lighten things up a little.

"What do you say about this, Levi," she nudged him with her leg, grinning widely. "Whoever catches Zeke first, gets a free dinner. Agree?"

Levi answered her by tugging harshly on the straps of the vest and sending her a fierce glare.

"This mission is not a joke, four-eyes. No bets this time. We both need to focus."

Hange huffed. "You're such a killjoy."

"At least I'm not a reckless idiot like you," he retorted, finishing his examination. He took a step back, admiring his work. "Did you check your gun?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

Hange sighed in exasperation. "Yes. You've checked it for yourself too."

"It was yesterday," Levi frowned. "Give me it, I need to check it again."

"Levi. Calm down," she laid a hand on his shoulder, making him look up at her. "Everything will be fine."

"Zeke had run away from us two times already."

"Well, you know what they say?" Hange winked, eliciting an annoyed 'tsk' from Levi. "The third time is a charm."

Hange reached back, taking a bright yellow jacket from the passenger seat.

Levi groaned. "Please don't tell me you're going to wear this monstrosity."

"Hey now," Hange chided. "It's my lucky jacket. Besides, _monstrosity?_ You were the one, who bought it."

Levi gave her a flat look. "I was pissed drunk, Hange. I clearly couldn't think straight."

"And that means you actually meant it! You meant it when you've said that this jacket fits my bubbly personality!"

"Bullshit," Levi crossed hands on his chest. "I've never said such thing. How would you even know that I said that? You were drunker than me!"

"I was not," Hange protested.

"You always get wasted faster than me, shithead."

"Well, that time was obviously an exception."

"Really?" Levi raised an eyebrow. "Then where did I buy you this jacket?"

"In the clothes store, of course."

"And what was the name of that store?"

"Em..."

"Exactly," Levi declared victoriously. "I just proved without a shadow of a doubt that you're a fucking liar, four-eyes, and that aforementioned accident had never happened."

"Whatever," Hange turned away, hiding the pout on her face from Levi's amused gaze. "Let's get going, detective asshole, or Erwin will blow out a tantrum again."

"Erwin wouldn't get so worked up, if he took the time out of his so busy schedule to shit that enormous stick that's so up his ass he can never relax.”

"You should buy him tea from constipation," Hange chuckled. "He'll get the hint."

"And throw a mountain of paperwork on me in thanks," Levi grumbled. "C'mon, get up," he grabbed Hange's hand and dragged her out of the police van and onto the street, where Zeke's hideout was located.

"Shit," Hange breathed out, staring up at the large two-stored building in front of them. "On the blueprints it looked smaller."

"It did," Levi agreed, remembering the briefing. Erwin was very tense then, but Levi chalked it up to the importance of their mission. Now he started to doubt that. "Erwin must have known about the real size. Why did he send only the two of us?"

"You know Erwin doesn't have that much power. Besides," Hange grinned, throwing a hand over Levi's shoulders. "Everyone knows we're the best. The higher-ups probably decided the two of us were more than enough."

Hange's explanation _kinda_ made sense. Still, Levi felt uneasy, as they slowly approached the building.

"Look," Hange pointed out at the window at the left side of Zeke's hideout. "It's faint, but there is a light coming out of this window."

"You think Zeke is here?"

"I'm not sure," Hange frowned. "I think we need to split up."

"No," Levi refused instantly. His hand fisted in her jacket, keeping her close. "We go together, Hange. As always."

"Levi," Hange smiled, laying her palm atop of his and gently unclasping his fingers. She lowered both of their hands, but didn't let go, holding his hand gently. "You know that this is the right choice. The building is huge. It'll take ages for us to investigate it together. Zeke will be long gone by the time we reach him. So stop fretting over me. Worry about the mission, okay?"

"...Okay," Levi reluctantly agreed. "But I take the left side," he gestured to the shining window.

Hange opened her mouth, obviously meaning to start arguing. But when she saw Levi's steel gaze, she sighed. "Alright, I'll go right then."

They reached the door of the building. Hange touched the handle.

"Wait," Levi stared up at her, feeling uncharacteristically anxious. Suddenly he reached out, bringing her down for a quick hug. "Don't you dare to get hurt in there, Hange," he whispered fiercely into her shoulder. "You see Zeke, you immediately call me. It's not the time to be a hero."

"Of course," Hange promised, wrapping her hands around him as well. "And the same applies to you, Levi."

Levi nodded, taking a step back. "Then let's do this. And remember, four-eyes," he showed her a little smirk. "If I catch him first, you buy me a dinner."

"We'll see who will be buying dinner, shorty."

Hange grinned and then took out her gun. She gave Levi a quick nod and opened the door, quietly slipping inside. Levi followed after her.

"Good luck," Hange mouthed once both of them were inside. Her cheerful grin was gone, a look of complete focus replacing it. She turned around, slowly making her way down the hall. For a moment, Levi stood still, watching her go. That uneasy feeling returned and intensified as Hange walked further and further away from him. Levi almost followed after her, but quickly pulled himself together. He was being ridiculous. Hange was a professional just like him, there was no need to worry about her. Besides, he was the one with a more dangerous route. He just needed to focus on finding Zeke. The faster he gets to him, the lesser are chances of Hange running into some trouble.

Levi took a deep breath and started walking, ignoring his worry as best as he could.  
  


* * *

  
As he made his way through the dark hallway, Levi found out that most of the rooms were unoccupied. There were a few storage rooms, but other than that the building was empty. His anxiety skyrocketed upon that discovery, and he almost decided to change the plan and return to Hange. Something was wrong, he could feel it. But the room with light shining underneath its door was already within his reach. He would check it out. If there was no one inside then.... then he'd go back to Hange as fast as possible.  
  
Reaching the door, Levi slowly pushed it open. He entered, looking around. Inside there was nothing but a small lamp, standing on a window sill.

For a second Levi froze, overcome with anger. That bastard had played them again. He gritted his teeth, hitting the wall beside him in frustration.

No matter where that asshole was hiding, Levi would find him, he would find him and then—

And then Levi heard a loud scream. A _painfully_ familiar voice was calling out his name. Levi's blood turned to ice. He whirled around, alarmed and panicked. He needed to get to Hange, _fast_. He rushed out of the room, running in the direction where Hange had gone to. Soon he saw her, just at the end of the hallway. Hange was chasing someone. He called out to her, but she didn’t look back, deaf to his shouts.

Levi ran and ran, but couldn't reach her. He screamed until his throat was raw, he kept pushing on, even though he was out of breath and his legs burned with pain.

Hange was still out of his reach.

Levi stopped just for a second, just to take a quick breath.

The explosion rang in that exact moment, leaving everything, except the place, where he stood, in ruins. Some distance away, Hange was lying, her body hidden by a large concrete. Her face was bloody and she kept on screaming, asking for his help. Levi wanted to move, wanted to go and get her out, _she was waiting for his help_ , but his limbs refused to cooperate. He could do nothing, but watch.

"I was counting on you, Levi," Hange whispered in between shallow breaths. "I was sure you had my back. But you let me down. You let me _die_."

Hange's eyes were full of disappointment. Levi wanted to say something, to beg for her forgiveness, but he couldn't utter a single sound.

Soon Hange's eyes closed. Levi opened his in that exact moment.

He woke up with a gasp.

Sitting up on a bed, he tried to get his breathing under control. He clenched his chest, right where his heart was. It was beating so fast and his shirt was all sweaty. Levi took another deep breath.

That dream... that _fucking_ dream plagued him almost every night. Levi had hated it at first, it reminded of his loss, of his mistake, of the _biggest_ mistake in his life. It brought him so much pain, and yet— and yet it was the only time when he could be reunited with Hange. He could see her annoying, cocky grin and her sparkly eyes, could hear her irritatingly loud laughter and get into another meaningless argument with her.

God, two years had passed, but he still missed her. Every goddamn day. Sometimes he missed her so much, he felt like he was losing his mind. More than once, while walking through a crowded street, Levi thought that he had seen an achingly familiar silhouette. Every single time, _like a goddamn fool_ , he'd start running, reaching out to grab a shoulder and turn around and— and see a stranger, looking at him like he had lost his mind. And sometimes, when he stayed in the office for too long, buried under piles of paperwork, he'd hear a quiet, hurried muttering. He'd glance to his left to stare at the desk that used to be occupied by her, and of course, _of fucking course_ , there would be no one there.

There were millions of little, seemingly insignificant things that reminded him of her. And, really, Levi shouldn't be surprised about it. Hange was the most persistent person he had ever known. She refused to let him be while she was alive, so why did Levi expect to be able to get rid of her after her death?

Showing hair back from his face, as if to make these annoying thoughts disappear, Levi reached to the nightstand, where his phone was. Unlocking it, he was instantly met with dozens of notifications, all of them from Erwin. There were five missed calls, and even more texts from him.

_Have a nice day, Levi, and if you need me, don't hesitate to call!_

_I can take care of Grim today, just text me and I'll come and get him_

_I'm going to visit her grave, do you want to come with me?_

_Levi, I know it's a hard day for you, but can you please answer me?_

_Is everything alright? Why aren’t you answering?_

_Levi, answer your goddamn phone or I'll come to check on you personally_

The last text came fifteen minutes ago, and Levi very much hoped that Erwin wasn't already on his way to his apartment.

"Jesus," he muttered, writing a quick text to Erwin, explaining that he was sleeping this whole time.

Levi's eyebrows raised in surprise as he looked at the clock. It was almost nine pm, and he fell asleep at nine or ten am, just after he got back from the morning investigation. Had he slept through the whole day? It was no wonder, then, why Erwin got so worried. Levi never slept for so long. Two sleepless nights in a row was probably the reason.

And on top of it, today was _the day_ , the anniversary of Hange's death. Honestly, it didn't matter much to Levi. The pain inside him was constant, it didn't intensify because of the date on a calendar. It didn't hurt more because it was the day he had lost her. Levi had requested a day off solely because he hated to see the pity in his co-workers’ eyes. He barely resisted from lashing out at everyone last year. And this year, with that goddamn case, his restraint was as thin as ever.

Walking out of his room, Levi saw Grim - his pet St. Bernard - lying on a couch in the living room.

"How have you been, boy?" Levi came closer to pet dog's soft fur. Grim leaned into his touch. "I kinda forgot about you, buddy. C'mon, I'll make it up to you."

Levi rose to his feet, heading to the kitchen. Grim followed after him, his tail wagging in excitement.

Just as he was opening the fridge, Levi's phone started to ring.

He answered without looking at the screen.

"I'm fine, Erwin," he replied before his friend could even ask the question. "Sorry for worrying you, though," he added a second later.

"I can't believe that you've slept for so long," Erwin chuckled. "But I'm glad you did. The circles under your eyes look truly terrible."

"Fuck you," Levi said without any real bite to it. Taking leftover pasta for himself, he picked up the package with dog food for Grim. "Not everyone can sleep for three hours a day and still look like a Greek god as you do."

"You think I look that good, huh?” Levi could practically see Erwin’s raised eyebrow and the amusement inside his blue eyes.

The corners of Levi's lips lifted in a faint smile.

“Do you want me to come over?" Erwin asked after some pause.

Levi sighed. "You don't need to worry about me, Erwin," he bended over to fill Grim's bowl with food. The dog instantly came over, burying his face inside the bowl. Levi watched him with an affectionate gaze. "Better tell me," he said to Erwin. "What were you up to this day? How are things at the precinct?"

"There wasn't any progress made on your case," Erwin reported. "As for me, I finished earlier today, went to visit Hange's grave..." he faltered, clearing his throat. "I'm sorry I didn't wait for you."

"No." Levi answered, fighting to keep his voice even. "I wouldn't have come anyway."

He had never visited Hange's grave. He hadn't even come to her funeral. Hange's body was never found, they buried an empty casket, what was there to say goodbye to? And as for her grave, for Levi it was nothing more than a stone with her name on it and a couple of meaningless numbers. It meant nothing. Hange was an erupting volcano, a raging storm. But they reduced her to a fucking piece of stone.

"...Alright," Erwin said slowly, almost carefully. "Well, if you change your mind about hanging out, call me, okay?"

"Of course," Levi murmured. "Thank you, Erwin."

"Anytime, my friend," he promised and then ended the call.

As Levi put his phone down, Grim, finished with his food already, came to nuzzle his leg.

"You want to go for a walk, boy?" Levi asked, scratching behind dog's ear. Grim barked happily, licking Levi's palm. "How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?" Levi complained, staring at his now wet hand in disgust. Shaking his head, he quickly wiped off the snoot and headed to the front door.

After putting on warm coat and fastening Grim's leash, he walked out of the apartment.

* * *

Strolling through the night city was one of Levi's favorite past time. He enjoyed walking through the empty and dimly lit streets with Grim by his side. The chilly fresh air and the silence that was only occasionally interrupted by a passing car brought him peace and quiet he needed so much. It relaxed him more than anything in his life.

His calm state of mind, however, was ruined the moment he returned from his walk with Grim.

His phone was ringing. And this time it wasn’t Erwin.

"Petra?" he asked urgently, his heart beating with twice its usual speed. He waited for a second, but there was no answer. Sweat began to drip down Levi’s forehead. "Petra, do you hear me? Is everything alright?"

"There is someone in our office right now," she finally whispered. "It's not you, is it?"

His worry was now mixed with annoyance.

"What the fuck are you doing at the precinct at night?" Levi asked angrily.

“I wanted to do some work…”

“Jesus—”he told her to be careful, why the fuck did she not listen to him? Why did no one ever listen to him? Levi took a deep breath, calming himself down. Anger was only distracting him. "Doesn't matter now," he added more calmly. "I'll be there in ten minutes. Wait for me and don't go in there, understood?"

"Y-yes," Petra answered shakily.

"Don't do anything stupid." Levi warned and then ended the call.

Fuck, Levi thought, rubbing his face. Who would possibly want to break into their office? Was it one of Zeke’s scumbags? Or, maybe, Levi considered with no small amount of weird excitement, maybe, Petra had succeed in something he had attempted to do for months now? Could it be that she had caught the mysterious informant? Levi had lost count at how many times he had stayed in the office for the night, trying to meet face-to-face with the person who was actively helping him to fight Sannes. They always eluded him, though.

Despite them constantly providing him with vital information for almost a year, there wasn't much Levi knew about the informant themselves. He suspected that they had to be close to Sannes, it'd be near impossible to get that much intel, if they weren't communicating directly with him. However, as for the reason why his enigmatic friend was helping him in the first place, Levi had no clue. If that was personal vendetta or they just couldn’t keep quiet about the injustice, he had yet to receive at least a single hint.

Although, there was a couple of things Levi knew about his informant. First, they were an exceptional hacker, because there was no other explanation as to how they've managed to get past his password. Only one person was capable of that, after all. And second, they had a freaky, almost morbid sense of humor. The messages that were left on Levi's computer were full of stupid puns and inappropriate jokes. He had to admit, though, these messages never failed in bringing a small smile on his face.

However, that was about all he knew about the informant, and despite their indisputable usefulness, it was still unknown if Levi could actually trust them. He didn't know their motives, after all.

But maybe he could find them out tonight.

"Sorry again, buddy," Levi crouched down to pat Grim's head. "I don't have the time to bath you," he winced as his eyes darted to Grim's dirty paws. _You don't have the time_ , he reminded himself. "Just try not to make a lot of mess, okay?"

Grim seemed to understand him all too well, and he just turned around, heading to the living room. Levi darted to his bedroom, grabbing the gun. Coming back to stand before the front door, he brushed the hair out of his face and took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for whatever was awaiting him. He straightened up and walked out of his apartment, hoping that he wouldn't arrive too late.

* * *

The hallway, which led to their office, was blissfully quiet when Levi reached it. It was also suspiciously empty. Levi gritted his teeth. A wave of annoyance stirred up inside.

_He told her to stay fucking put!_

"Petra!" he shouted, not caring about who could be listening. "Petra, where are you?"

"I'm here!" she replied, the voice undoubtedly coming from behind the door of their office. What an insufferable reckless girl! Levi had a really shitty luck when it came to dealing with partners.

“Petra!” he threw the door open with way more force than was necessary. He blinked a few times, adjusting his eyes for the darkness of the room. “I told you not to fucking go… inside.”

Breath hitched in his throat, as he finally took a good look at the office. His computer was on, but Petra seemed unharmed and next to her… next to her stood—

It couldn’t be, Levi tried to persuade himself, as he gazed at the face he longed to see for so long. It was a dream, a hallucination, some cruel trick of his mind, it just _couldn’t be_. Tearing his eyes away from _her_ , Levi turned to Petra.

“P-petra?” he whispered, looking at her with desperation in his eyes. She stared back at him with the same helplessness he was feeling right now.

“It’s me,” Hange said, and now Levi was sure that it was _really_ her. He still couldn’t believe it, but he couldn’t deny it. Only Hange was ever capable of understanding him without words.

“ _Hange,_ ” he breathed out. Just the sight of her made him feel so much, his head was dizzy. He rushed to her, almost knocking her to the ground. He didn’t let her fall, though, and wrapped his hands around her. God, he dreamed of doing this for so long. Hange was so warm, so solid in his arms. She felt real. _Alive._ Levi pressed his head to her chest, listening to the steady heartbeat. It was the best thing he heard in his entire life.

“Please tell me this is not a dream,” he whispered, staring up at her. She looked just like he remembered. “Please tell me you’re really here.”

“I’m here, Levi,” she replied, and, oh god, how good it was to hear her say his name again. Levi wasn’t even aware that he had missed this – the way Hange pronounced his name. But as her deep voice formed the two short syllables, Levi felt like he was going to cry out of happiness. “I’m here, _with you._ ”

 _Finally_ , Levi thought. She was finally back, and he was once again by her side. Just as it was supposed to be. 

“You’re alive,” Levi said, still not quite able to wrap his head around it. “Hange, you’re really alive. I can’t believe it.”

Hange’s hand was suddenly in his hair, and Levi was honestly ready to start purring. He couldn’t remember the time when he felt so at peace.

“You can’t get rid of me that easily, shorty,” she whispered into his ear.

Levi chuckled, letting a small, but impossibly happy smile grace his lips. Their embrace lasted for another long moment. Levi was reluctant to let go, afraid that if he does, Hange will disappear like smoke through his fingers. Besides, after all that pain and misery, he more than deserved this, this miniscule moment of calmness. Because something was telling him, a hell of a storm was waiting for him afterwards.

“So,” Levi said, as he finally convinced himself to take a step back and let Hange go. “Mind explaining me how the fuck are you alive?”

“That’s a really long story,” Hange awkwardly scratched her neck.

Levi scowled. “Cut the bullshit, four-eyes.”

“Alright,” Hange heaved out a deep sigh. “Could you make tea, please?”

“Of course,” Levi easily agreed, moving to do just that. “And, in the meanwhile,” he added, fixing Hange with a sharp look. “Start talking.”

“Fine,” Hange huffed. She sat at the couch that stood in the corner and lifted her head, staring at the ceiling. “Now where do to begin... Remember our last mission?”

Levi stopped the very important process of pouring the tea welding into the pot to glare at Hange.

“The mission, where you supposedly died in a fucking explosion? Are you talking about that mission?”

“Yep,” Hange replied with a sheepish grin. “So, as you probably have guessed, Zeke knew that we were coming.”

"Sannes had tipped him off about the upcoming mission."

"Right," she nodded.

Levi looked at Hange again, tilting his head to study her carefully.

"What?" she asked, squirming under his piercing gaze. "What's wrong?"

"You don't seem all that surprised about me knowing about Sannes."

"Levi," Hange smiled mischievously. "Who do you think your secret admirer was?"

"You!" Levi gasped. Now everything started to make sense - the weird humor, the ability to get through his password. "It was you this whole fucking time!"

"Guilty as charged," Hange giggled. "Shall I continue?"

"Hurry up. Tea is almost ready."

Hange watched him for another second, smiling softly, and then resumed her story. "As I said, Zeke knew about us coming. So he planted the explosives in the right wing and put a light in the window of the left wing. He thought we'd take the bait, and in the meantime, he'd finish evacuating the building, you probably noticed that most of it was already empty. But since we split up, he wasn't done yet. When I found him, he and his men were in the middle of carrying some weapons. I called you as soon as I saw him, but before I could do anything else, Zeke had done the weirdest thing – he pushed me away. I… I don’t really remember what happened next, but you know the rest," Hange sadly shook her head. "There was an explosion and then the building collapsed."

"I do know that," Levi murmured as he sat close to Hange, setting teacups on the coffee table. "But how were you able to get out? I couldn’t find you."

"Zeke..." Hange swallowed, her hands tightening into fists. They shook, either from rage or frustration, and Levi thrusted a teacup in her hands, clasping her fingers around it. Shooting him a grateful look, Hange managed to take a calming breath. When she spoke again, her voice was uncharacteristically cold. "Zeke saved me. I don't know why he did that, but when pushed me away, I was able to avoid most of the explosion's impact. His people came for him and got me out as well. I still was wounded and I hit my head very badly. I... I was in a hospital for weeks. I had amnesia and lost all memories of my old life. Zeke was there with me and he told me that I was working for him, and I— I," Hange let out a bitter chuckle. "I believed him."

"Don't you dare," Levi told her in a low voice. "Don't you dare, Hange, to blame yourself for this. That fucker did this to you. And... I did it to you. I shouldn't have listened to you, we shouldn't have split up, we—"

"Levi," Hange spoke softly, lifting the corners of her lips in a gentle smile. "If I can't blame myself, then the same applies to you."

He huffed, rolling his eyes. "Smartass. Okay, what happened next?"

Hange shrugged. "I got better. I started working for him. He didn't really trust me with anything important, just some minor tasks. Even now, he still watches me closely. And that's..." Hange sighed. "That's basically what happened."

"Shit," Levi whispered with feeling. There was... there was a lot he needed to digest. But there was something— something more important right now. " _Shit!_ " he exclaimed suddenly. He got to his feet so quickly, he almost flipped over the coffee table. "Erwin! We need to tell him! He needs to know you’re alive!”

"Yeah..." Hange said, lowering her head to stare at her cup. Avoiding Levi's eyes. "Maybe, later? He's probably asleep right now."  
  
"You don’t want to see Erwin?" he looked down at her, a small crease appearing between his eyebrows.

"I want to see him!" Hange assured. "It's just..."

"You've already seen him," Levi finished for her, realization knocking the air out of him. He slowly sat back down. “He knows that you’re alive, doesn’t he?” his tone was accusatory, but he couldn’t help it, he felt betrayed. Betrayed by the two people he loved the most.

“Levi…” Hange whispered helplessly.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Levi continued to glare at her. Anger was a better response, he decided. He’d rather appear angry than show how he truly felt – heartbroken and devastated.

Hange didn’t answer, just sat with her head hanged low. She didn’t dare to meet Levi’s eyes and held the teacup so tightly in her hands, her knuckles went white. Levi almost apologized, he hated causing her so much distress. He hated seeing Hange like this, especially now. But then— then he realized another thing.

Levi closed his eyes, clenching his fists so hard, he almost drew blood. Fuck Hange, fuck Erwin, fuck these two assholes and their righteousness. Fuck the fact that Levi loved them both so much.

“…You weren’t planning on coming back, were you?” Hange froze. So his deduction was right, Levi guessed. This time, however, it brought him no joy. With a heavy heart, he continued. “You weren’t planning on coming back and that’s why you didn’t tell me, right?”

“Levi…” Hange croaked. “You don’t understand…”

“Then explain to me!” Levi shouted. He pushed his cup onto the table and clutched Hange’s hands in his, making her finally look up at him. “Fucking explain it to me, Hange, because you’re right, I do _not_ understand!”

“I need to get Zeke behind the bars!” Hange screamed back, her voice raw. “Ever since my memories came back to me, that’s the only thing I’m able to think about! That’s the only thing that keeps me from going crazy!”

"I want to get him too!" Levi replied just as fiercely. "What the fuck does it have to do with you not coming back?"

"Do you really not understand it?" Hange asked, exasperated. "We've tried to catch him before! But it yielded absolutely no results!"

"And so you and Erwin came up with a great plan? Which involves you not making out alive?" Levi leaned in, getting so close to Hange that their heavy breathing started to mix. "Please do tell me more about it!"

Hange suddenly deflated. "It's not a great plan, and I know it. But it's the only one that can work."

"And what is it? C'mon, tell me," Levi nudged, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I genuinely want to know about a plan that two smartest people I know had come up with."

Hange averted her eyes, as though in shame. Good, Levi thought, she should feel ashamed for her stupidity. Levi would personally make sure that Erwin feels ashamed as well. 

"I'm going to expose Zeke. Once I gather all the evidence I need, the one that can't be dismissed, I'll release all the information to authorities."

"And? What part of it involves you not coming back?"

"Levi," Hange smiled sadly. "You know Zeke. I'd be dead the moment he finds about my betrayal."

Levi frowned. "You can go to the witness protection."

"Zeke has Sannes in his back pocket. Do you think that's the only important person that helps him?"

“There has to be another way. You can’t honestly tell me that this the best course of action.”

“You still don’t get it,” Hange whispered bitterly. Suddenly she jumped to her feet, coming to stand near the window. Her back was turned to Levi and even in the darkness of the room, he could see that her shoulders were shaking.

“You don’t get it, Levi! You— don’t understand what I’ve been through, what I’ve done and how much pain I’ve caused other people. After Zeke gets what he deserves, I can’t just come back like nothing has happened. It’s the only plan I agreed to, because… because I don’t deserve a better outcome.”

_What the fuck?_

In a second, Levi was by her side, gripping her shoulders tightly and staring at her with fury in his eyes.

“What the fuck, Hange?” he hissed into her face. “Have you gone mad?”

“Levi, I—”

“Yes, you’ve been through some shit, _I get it._ You feel guilty and responsible for whatever fucked up things Zeke made you do, but it’s not your fault! Zeke is the one to blame, so shut the fuck up!”

“You don’t know!” Hange cried out, pushing him away. “You don’t know what I did! And if you knew—”

“I wouldn’t care,” Levi said calmly. “I don’t know what you did and I don’t _care_ , Hange. It wasn’t you. You were just trying to survive and I’m so goddamn happy that you did.”

“How can you be so nonchalant about this?” Hange stared at him, her expression was so vulnerable that Levi felt an acute desire to hide her inside his arms and never let go. “How can you be happy that I’m alive? A-after what I just told you?”

“Because I know you, Hange,” Levi replied softly. “I know you better than anyone in this world. And I know how kind and just you are, how much you love to help other people and how fiercely you loathe anyone, who hurts others. You’re my best friend, and, no matter what, I will always be by your side.”

For a second Hange silently observed him, as though trying to see the signs of dishonesty. And when she couldn’t see any, her lips began to tremble. There was a single tear glistening inside her remaining eye. Before, it could fall down onto her cheek, though, she wrapped her hands around Levi’s neck, hiding her face into his shoulder. Levi pulled her closer and laid his hand onto her back, patting it softly.

“Please, try not to ruin my shirt, okay?” Levi said, as Hange continued to cling onto him.

Hange let out a sound that simultaneously resembled a sob and a chuckle. “You can be such an asshole sometimes.”

“And you’re the biggest idiot I’ve ever met,” Levi spoke with too much affection in his voice.

“The asshole and the idiot,” Hange lifted her face, smiling at Levi. “We’ll make a pretty good team?”

“We _are_ a good team,” Levi allowed himself to smile back.

“I’ve missed this so much,” Hange sighed happily.

“And I’ve missed you,” Levi blurted out.

“Really?” Hange raised an eyebrow. “I thought I annoyed you.”

Levi growled, pushing laughing Hange away from him. “You’re such a dipshit.”

“And yet you’ve missed me,” she sang, and, oh god, that cocky smirk was back. Levi’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of it.

“Unfortunately,” he grumbled with a sour face.

“Your new partner, by the way,” Hange began mischievously. “She’s cute.”

“Don’t,” Levi warned, shooting her a glare.

“What?” Hange asked, batting her eyelashes and feigning innocence. “She’s really cute and she’s up to all of your standards – she’s quiet, not even a bit messy, she’s shorter than y—”

“ _Don’t_ ,” Levi cut her off. “Don’t try to pretend that you don’t know why she’s not up to my standards, Hange.”

“But…” Hange frowned in confusion. “I really don’t know. Why isn’t she?”

“Because she’s not you!” Levi replied, his eyes boring into Hange angrily. “Because no one in this fucking world can replace you!”

“Levi…” Hange stared at him helplessly. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“What happened to your eye?” Levi asked suddenly. He shared enough of his feelings tonight, and Hange’s sad gaze was making him feel pathetic. “It’s not just a weird fashion choice, is it?”

“No,” Hange chuckled, lifting her arm to cover the black patch. “I’ve lost it.”

“During the explosion?”

“No,” she shook her head. “I… refused to obey Zeke’s orders,” she shrugged. “He made sure that I won’t make the same mistake.”

 _“Bastard,_ ” Levi was beyond livid. God, he wanted to get his hands on Zeke _so fucking much._ “I’ll get to him and I’ll make him pay for that. That fucker will regret ever laying a finger on you.”

"Levi..."

As soon as he had heard her cautious whisper, his anger had disappeared without a trace.

"Can I see it?" he asked, reaching up to gently touch the side of her face.

"It's not pretty."

"Please," he murmured.

Hange nodded and then moved her hand to unclasp the fasting at the back of her head. She took off her glasses, removed the patch and tentatively turned around, staring at Levi with uncertainty.

Levi didn’t think it was possible, but his hatred for Zeke grew tenfold, as he traced the scar that ran across Hange’s left eye. That vivid brown color he loved so much now became a dull, lifeless white. His feelings were probably reflected on his face, because a self-deprecating smile appeared on Hange’s face.

“I am not really four-eyes anymore, huh?”

“You’ll always be four-eyes,” Levi replied stubbornly. “Give me that,” he snatched the glasses and the patch out of Hange’s hands. Standing on his tiptoes, Levi fastened the patch and then put back her glasses. As a final touch, he gently pushed the hair out of her face. “There,” he whispered. “Now you look less of a mess.”

“Will you hate it if I hug you once more?”

Levi rolled his eyes, huffing. “Just make it brief, four-eyes.”

Hange squalled and jumped on him, enveloping him in another embrace. Levi closed his eyes, savoring her warmth. Just as promised, though, she didn’t linger for a moment too long, which Levi couldn’t help but be disappointed about. Before letting go, she pressed a kiss on his cheek, the gesture so unexpected that it made Levi’s cheeks redden.

“What was that for?” he grumbled, trying to mask his shock and embarrassment by annoyance.

“Just felt like doing it,” Hange shrugged, taking another step away from Levi. His hand twitched, as he barely stopped himself from reaching out. “Well, I’ll be going, shorty.”

Now Levi felt an almost irrepressible urge to reach out for Hange.

“…Are you going back to Zeke?”

“If I don’t want to blow my cover, I have to.”

“And… have you reconsidered your plan?”

Hange sighed. “I’ll… think about it.”

It wasn’t a ‘yes’, but still, Levi felt like a weight was taken off his chest.

"I'll walk with you," he announced, not even trying to hide the fact that he was so very reluctant to let Hange go.

"Levi...."

"Just until the crossroad," he assured.

"Fine," Hange agreed tiredly. "But only to the crossroad."

The crossroad was a five minute walk from the precinct. However, even five more minutes with Hange brought Levi no small amount of joy. Just one day ago he couldn't even dream about the possibility of walking through the city with her by his side again.

“So…” Hange began, as they started making their way down the precinct's hallways. “How is Grim? Is he—”

“Still kicking?” Levi asked with a slight smirk. “Sure thing. That dog will probably outlive me.”

“Glad to hear that,” Hange grinned. “So how is my second favorite boy doing?”

“Second favorite?” Levi raised an eyebrow.

Hange leaned in, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “You’re my _first_ favorite.”

“Shut up,” Levi rolled his eyes, feeling strange warmth appear inside his chest. “But to answer your question, Grim is fine. He misses you though.”

“Huh? He does?”

Levi nodded. “Remember that shirt you left at my place all these years ago? I guess it still stinks of you, and sometimes Grim takes it out and lays down on it.”

Levi decided not to mention that more than once he desperately wished to do the same.

“He really does that?” Hange smiled softly. “Ah, I miss him too.”

“You should come and visit him then,” Levi didn’t even try to hide the petulance in his voice.

“Maybe, I’ll do.”

"Wait," Levi stopped Hange before they walked out of the precinct. He looked skeptically at her and her thin green shirt. "Did you come here in just this shirt?"

"Yeah?" Hange smiled sheepishly. "It's not that cold."

"Idiot," Levi huffed, taking off his coat and draping it over Hange.

"Levi!" she cried out. "It's your coat, you can't just give it away."

"I'm not giving it away," he said. "I'm expecting you to return it."

 _It'll give you a reason to come back_ , Levi added mentally.

"I'll take good care of it," Hange promised, as she wrapped the coat around her. Pressing her nose into the collar and inhaling the faint scent, she smiled and followed Levi outside.

The late hour made the streets almost empty, the air was fresh, but not overly chilly. And Levi’s company made the short walk all the more enjoyable.

"Take care of yourself too," he grumbled. "Especially, with these murders..."

"Murders?" Hange frowned. "What murders?"

"You don't know?"

Hange scratched the back of her neck. "I don't exactly follow the news anymore."

As far as Levi knew, the recent murders hardly received any news coverage. Unfortunately, two dead bodies were nothing shocking for their city. But still…

“Didn’t you say that you work closely with Zeke?”

The frown on Hange’s face deepened. “I do, but what does Zeke have to do with it?”

“Hange,” Levi looked up at her. “He’s the one who had killed those women.”

“ _What?_ ” Hange froze. “You can’t be serious. Why do you even think that Zeke is involved?”

“Because it’s obvious?”

Confusion was still written all over Hange’s face, so Levi cleared his throat, preparing himself for a lengthy explanation.

“The first murder happened at the same apartment complex you used to live in, and near the body I found _your_ old glasses.”

“A-are you sure?” Hange asked a little breathlessly.

Levi gave her a flat look. “I’ve been staring at those ugly specs on your face for years. Of course, I’m fucking sure. And the second victim, who was found at the same café we used to frequent before, was wearing your yellow jacket.”

“I— I don’t understand. I knew nothing about it. And why are these murders connected to me?”

That was the question Levi was asking himself too. There was another question, though. If Hange was working for Zeke, but didn’t know about the murders, could it be… that it was merely a beginning? Could it be that Zeke’s final act would be the murder of _Hange?_

A chill ran through Levi’s spine. It had nothing to do with the fact that he wasn’t wearing his coat.

“Zeke couldn’t have killed those women, though,” Hange announced, breaking Levi out of his thoughts.

“And why couldn’t he?”

“He’s been out of country for almost a week. He’s supposed to come back only this morning.”

“Shit, that—” That… wasn’t possible, Levi almost said. But then he remembered. The witness— that guy described someone very different from Zeke. Could it be that he was actually right?

“Say Hange… do you know someone with brown curly hair?”

Something flashed in Hange’s eye, something that looked like realization. And then her expression, for just a second, became that of a fury. A moment later, though, Hange put on a mask of neutral thoughtfulness. “Maybe, I do,” she murmured. “Why are you asking?”

“The witness at the first scene of crime had seen someone that matches that description.”

For a long minute, Hange said nothing. She scratched her chin, staring into the distance.

“I need… to investigate this. I’ll contact you once I find something out.”

They reached the crossroad, Levi suddenly realized. It was the time for them to say goodbye. He desperately didn’t want to.

“Please be safe,” he said, before Hange left him. “Be safe and… come back.”

“I—” Hange swallowed, her eye going misty for a moment. Her lips trembled slightly, before they curved into a small, but sincere smile. “I will come back, Levi. I promise.”

And then she turned around, disappearing behind the corner. As Levi watched her go, he remembered the last time Hange left him. This time, it wouldn’t end like this. This time, he’d do his best to protect Hange. This time, she’d come back home safely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ......i should really stop making these chapters so long, right?


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first of all, thanks for all the feedback!!!! i really appreciate it!!!! and, secondly, check this amazing art by faerielleart!!!!! you can find it here https://faerielleart.tumblr.com/post/634787864253759488/so-uh-ive-been-reading-the-amazing-fic-partners

It was a recurring dream of hers.

She was sitting behind the desk in a room she couldn’t recognize. There were three other desks there, a big shelf, filled with documents and a black, leather coach. On a desk in front of her, there was a computer, a dozen of folders, pens and used coffee cups scattered around, and on the edge stood a plate. For some reason, Hange was sure that her name was written on it. There was another plate, which was propped up on a desk that was set beside hers. Hange took it in her hands numerous times, trying to see what name was written there. The letters were always too blurry for her to understand.

Evidently, she was inside an office of some sort. The place seemed familiar, extremely so. Hange knew that there was a small crack in the window behind her desk, she knew that her chair creaked whenever she shifted her sitting position, she knew that the best tea was kept on a lower shelf.

And despite all the evidence that she _knew_ this place, she couldn’t remember if she had ever been here. Or who she shared this office with.

In her hands she held a photo album and her fingers slowly traced one picture after another. Each page showed different groups of people – there were a lot of them, but there were only two men, who appeared at each photo. One was tall and blonde, the other one – short and dark-haired. Hange was hugging them in each picture, her face shining with happiness.

The men, however, had no faces.

Out of the dozen people who stood next to Hange on these photos, no one had a face. They were just silhouettes, blurry and hazy.

Same as Hange’s memory of them.

She knew they were important, knew that she loved them, dearly so, but she couldn’t remember them. She didn’t know who they were, she forgot their names and faces, couldn’t recall how their voices sounded like or how they took their coffee. Her mind was like a book that once was filled with memories. But now all the pages were torn out, leaving just the title and the beginnings of first chapter.

It pissed Hange off, it left her frustrated and confused. Who were these people? Were they colleagues? Friends? _Family?_ If they were so close to her, where were they now? Why weren’t they still by her side? Had they left her? Why was she left behind?

These questions tormented Hange. Every time she woke up after that dream, she couldn’t help but ponder upon it, desperately searching for an answer. That’s why she hated this dream so much, it wasn’t as bad as the others ones - _the ones about fire and child’s screams and—_ no, these were the worst, always making Hange wake up in the middle of the night with a hoarse scream on her lips. Dreams about her forgotten life weren’t much better, though. They made her feel so uneasy because—

Because she _missed_ them. She didn’t know these people, had no clear memory of them, but still her heart ached to see them. There was a longing inside her so severe she felt like there was a huge hole in her chest. She had so many feelings, so much love to give—

But there was no one she could share that love with.

Usually, after a dream like that, Hange was reluctant to leave her bed. She could spend literal hours, chewing on her thumb and trying to regain what was lost. Sometimes she could almost see it, the beginning of a memory, a flash of something familiar, but it always ended there, never reaching anything conclusive. Didn’t stop her from trying, though.

This morning, however, was vastly different. This morning, the time for pondering was cut off abruptly, when someone had woken Hange up by roughly kicking the leg of her bed.

She woke up immediately. For a second she was confused, and then— then she got _angry._ She opened her eyes and put on her glasses, preparing the deadliest of glares for whoever had deigned to disturb her sleep.

Of course. It was stupid Floch. Hange threw a pillow at him, aiming right at his idiotic face. It hit him right in the center of his ugly forehead. If she wasn’t so pissed off, Hange would have laughed at his perplexed expression.

“The fuck are you doing here?” she asked furiously. “How many times do I have to tell you that you’re not allowed inside my apartment?”

Well, calling the place, where Hange lived, an apartment was quite possibly a huge exaggeration. Her home consisted of one room, a bathroom and a balcony so small she alone could hardly fit there. Zeke claimed that she started living there years before the accident that caused her amnesia had occurred. But, as with everything Zeke had told her, Hange found it hard to believe him – the apartment, when she returned from the hospital, was barren and lifeless. She couldn’t quite imagine living in such pristine place, especially considering the amount of clutter she had accumulated just after a week of living there.

But why would Zeke lie to her? She asked herself that exact question more times than she could count.

“Zeke wants to see you,” Floch told her, bringing Hange back to present.

“Cool,” she stood up and pushed past Floch, heading to the part of her apartment she proudly called the kitchen. In truth, it was just a tiny corner of her room, where a refrigerator and narrow countertop stood.

Yawning, she started the coffee machine and opened the small cabinet, searching for a clean mug. She needed to do the dishes, Hange noted to herself.

_“Your place is like a junkyard, four-eyes. You’re living in a dumpster like a fucking raccoon.”_

Hange softly chuckled. As with her strange dreams, it wasn’t the first time she had heard this voice. It often appeared inside her head, commenting on situations she had found herself in. Sometimes it gave her valid advice too. She didn’t know if this voice was a sign of her declining mental health, something that should definitely alarm her, or just a repressed memory of sorts. She tried not to think about it too hard. That voice brought her some comfort, and she was always happy to hear it. She couldn’t remember the name of its owner, of course, and since it was sarcastic and often quite rude, she nicknamed it simply ‘the grumpy one’.

“What are you laughing at?” Floch seethed, following after Hange. “And didn’t you hear me? Zeke wants to see you. What the fuck are you doing?”

“Making coffee,” Hange shrugged. “I’d offer a cup to you too, but, unfortunately, I have no poison to go with it. Don’t take it personally,” she smiled, baring her teeth.

“It’s urgent,” Floch pressed, glaring at her. 

Poor thing, Hange thought, as she was filling her mug with steaming coffee, he was probably thinking that he looked fearsome. In truth, Floch reminded Hange of an angry cat, who could do nothing, but hiss.

“If that was actually urgent,” Hange murmured, taking the first sip from the mug. “He wouldn’t have sent you.”

For a moment, Floch was silent. Hange’s smile grew bigger, as she waited for him to catch on. He wasn’t the sharpest tool in shed after all.

“What are you implying?” he asked slowly. He clutched his hands into fists, his chest moved up and down, as he struggled to keep his breathing under control. Hange barely kept herself from laughing. It would have ruined the effect.

“I’m implying, my dear Floch,” she lifted a hand, reaching out to his cheek to pat it with a condescending smile. Floch recoiled from her in disgust. “That you’re not the man Zeke trusts the most. I don’t think he trusts you at all,” she added with an infuriating smirk.

Floch growled, taking a step closer to her.

Hange watched him with giddy trepidation. Was he going to punch her? God, she wanted him to punch her so badly. It’d give her an excuse to punch him back.

_“Try to be more civil, Hange, I know that he’s a jerk, but you both are a part of one team.”_

That was another one of her _voices._ This Hange named ‘the serious one’. It was always spoiling all of the fun, but she couldn’t deny it – nine times out of ten, that voice was right in denying Hange her amusement. It was the closest thing she had to an impulse control.

This time, she decided to listen to it too, even though she wanted to have fun so, _so_ much.

“I need to go and take a shower,” she announced, putting her mug with unfinished coffee back on the counter. “And if you, Floch, do not wish to join, then get the fuck out of my apartment.”

“Ugh,” Floch cringed at her suggestion. “Not in a million years. But hurry up. You don’t want to anger Zeke, do you?” curving his lips into a smug grin of his own, he gestured to Hange’s face. “I’m sure you remember what happens when you misbehave.”

_The house, engulfed in a bright fire, a child, begging for help, the black smoke and hot flames, the weight of a small body in her arms, the sharp edge of a knife that punished her for saving an innocent life, the pain in her left eye—_

Hange shook her head, pushing these memories to the back of her mind. It was enough that they haunted her at nights, she wouldn’t let them torment her during daytime as well.

“Just go already,” Hange sighed, walking past him. “Tell Zeke I’ll come to see him soon.”

* * *

Hange’s ‘soon’ came almost an hour later. Whatever Zeke needed from her, it definitely wasn’t urgent. If it was, he’d sent anyone else, but Floch. On bad days, that guy couldn’t be trusted even with tying his own shoelaces.

She closed the door to her apartment and walked up the stairs to get to the third floor. The previous headquarters of their _criminal_ _organization_ was blown up - damaged weaponry was to blame, or so Zeke said. And ever since, they’ve been hiding in one of the abandoned buildings at the outskirts of a city. The first floor was designed to hold the higher ranked members of a gang, the second was for storage, and the third floor was what Zeke called his _briefing room._

The whole floor was used for that exact purpose, in a center there was a long oak table and all around it were plastic, uncomfortable chairs. On the wall behind, Zeke put up the writing boards, although Hange had never seen someone actually use them. They probably were there to simply create an entourage and not serve as something truly useful. Even man as efficient and cruel as Zeke wasn’t immune to bursts of theatrics, it seemed.

When Hange entered the briefing room, there was no one but Zeke and Pieck inside. Hange grinned instantly, waving to Pieck with a clear glee, reflecting in her glasses.

Hange liked Pieck. _A lot._ Pieck was overly sarcastic and in all the time they knew each other, Hange honestly didn’t remember if they had at least one friendly exchange, but Pieck was funny. And trustworthy too. When Zeke had punished her for saving a child of his enemy, Pieck was the one, who helped her treat the wound.

However, if there was no one there, but Pieck, it meant that Floch was right. Zeke wanted to tell her something important. Something he wanted to keep a secret.

“And here you are!” he spread his arms in welcoming gesture. “We’ve been waiting for you for quite a while.”

“Then let’s get it over with quick,” Hange trudged up to one of the chairs and plopped down on it heavily.

“Your desire is my command,” Zeke put on a pleasant and obviously fake smile. Hange didn’t smile back.

“There is someone I need you to meet with,” Zeke began, lighting up a cigarette. Hange cringed in disgust, she hated cigarette smoke. And Zeke knew it.

“Who is it?”

“A past associate of mine. We’ve… drifted apart after the accident. I need you to go and see if we can rekindle our love.”

“And…” Hange tilted her head, observing Zeke carefully. “Why does it have to be me?”

Zeke shrugged. “You’re smart, Hange. And, unfortunately, the same can’t be said about all of my employees.”

_“You’re the only one I can trust with this, Hange. I know you can do it.”_

Hange had to blink a few times, because this time… it wasn’t just a voice. No, she could also see piercing blue eyes and strong jaw. She could see them as clearly as she saw Zeke and Pieck in front of her. Zeke’s eyes were blue too, but nothing like that vivid, bright color Hange had just seen. What was it? A memory? A vision? Was she truly losing her mind?

“…Oi, you weirdo, hey— _goddamn it_ , Hange, do you hear us?”

She instantly snapped back to reality.

“Yes?” her lips curved into a lazy smile, as she turned to face Pieck. “Do you need something, dear Pieck?”

Pieck didn’t roll her eyes or even scoff. Instead, she continued to carefully survey Hange, chewing on her lip worriedly.

“What the fuck was that?” she asked after a moment, her eyes still following Hange’s every move. “It looked like you just blacked out or something. Were my concerns about your sanity actually correct?”

 _Good question,_ Hange mused internally.

Externally, she waved Pieck off, putting her arms behind her head and sitting back in a chair. She relaxed in her seat and willed all of her troubling thoughts away.

“Everything’s awesome, dear Pieck. So,” she looked back at Zeke. “Who do I have to meet?”

“His name is Djel Sannes,” Zeke answered, looking at Hange just as intently as Pieck did moments ago. “He’ll be waiting for you this evening in an underground parking lot of the local police department.”

“Police department?!” Hange frowned, taken aback. “Are _you_ insane?”

“What?” Zeke smiled innocently at her. “Is there going to be a problem?”

“ _Duh,_ ” Hange threw her hands in the air. “It’s a police department, Zeke!”

“Yeah,” he took a drag of his cigarette and then slowly released a white, fat ring of smoke. “And what of it?”

“Have you forgotten,” Hange gritted through teeth. “That we’re members of a fucking gang?”

“We’re a part of a criminal organization,” Zeke corrected, his face contorting in disgust. Of course, how Hange could forget. Calling themselves a gang was too unsophisticated for his snobby ass. “And don’t you worry,” Zeke sent her another smile. “That’s why you’re meeting in a parking lot. No one will know that you’ve even been there. Besides, you’re not going alone.”

Hange lightened up. “Pieck is coming with me?”

“No,” Zeke’s tapped his fingers on a table’s surface, and Hange had a sinking feeling that told her she would really hate his next words. “Floch is going to go with you.”

“Fuck, no,” Hange answered immediately. “I won’t go with that jerk, no fucking way.”

“Don’t be like that, Floch can be annoying, I know, but there is a lot he can learn from you.”

God, just the thought of spending time with that idiot made her skin crawl.

“He’ll be a good boy, I promise,” Zeke added sweetly.

Hange sighed, getting up to her feet. “If he so much as opens his mouth at inappropriate time, I’ll punch him so hard he forgets his name.”

“That’s a deal,” Zeke nodded. “And Hange?” he called when she was almost at the door. “Do you think you can handle going to the police department?”

Hange narrowed her eyes. “If no one will notice us, then what’s the problem?”

“You sure?” he asked again, giving her a weird look. Hange stared back, not sure what the fuck was going on. Was it some kind of a test? If so, then what was its purpose?

“Of course,” she mumbled and left the room.

She wasn’t in a mood for Zeke’s mind games today. She had Floch to deal with, and he already was annoying enough to cause her a headache.

“I want to make something clear,” Hange fixed Floch with a hard look. “In this car, the driver always chooses the music. Blink if you understand.”

Floch glared back, but as he saw that this wasn’t working on Hange, he sighed and nodded. “I understand.”

“Great!” Hange smiled and clasped his shoulder so hard, Floch cringed. “Then let’s go! An exciting trip is ahead of us!” she started the car and turned on the music. The first notes of “Let it go” began to play and Floch groaned. Hange’s smile widened.

 _“Your music taste is as shit as ever,”_ the grumpy one in her head said. “ _At least it’s not me who is suffering this time.”_

* * *

"You have to turn left," Floch fumed exasperatingly.

"Shut up,” Hange snapped, gripping the steering wheel tighter.

"The GPS says we have to turn left," Floch lifted his hand, trying to reach out to Hange and take the wheel under his control. She harshly slapped his hand away.

"The GPS is wrong then," Hange blew a stray hair away from her face. "My route is shorter."

"And how do you know that?" Floch demanded.

"I just do," she sighed, trying very hard not to focus on that question. She just _did_ know that this route was shorter. Just like she knew that there was a food court nearby that sold delicious hotdogs. And that on weekdays, the traffic was terrible, especially in the afternoon. She just— she just _knew_. It was S a mystery, same as her confusing dreams and weird voices inside her head.

One crossroad later, their car stopped in front of the precinct's parking lot.

"There," Hange announced proudly. "We arrived."

Floch frowned. "The ETA said we would be driving for another five minutes."

"The _shorter_ route," Hange reminded him with a grin. "Now go!" she gave Floch a rough shove, pushing him out of the car.

"What the fuck?" he complained. "I was supposed to go with you!"

"And you will," Hange explained with a roll of her eyes. "But I need you to check if the parking lot is really empty. We can't be seen, remember?"

"Riight," Floch reluctantly agreed. "So I just have to go in there? Make sure that it’s deserted?"

"I take my words back, Floch," Hange looked at him impressively, pressing a hand to her chest. "You're not _a complete_ idiot after all."

"Fuck you," he growled.

"Love you too!" Hange waved her hand, watching Floch get out of the car with a smile on her face.

As soon as he closed the door, Hange exhaled and looked up at the sky. The grey, heavy clouds were gathering up above. The streets became darker and the city around her looked ominous, as though signaling every citizen about the upcoming disaster. Hange instantly admonished herself, she was being ridiculous. The cloudy weather could mean only one thing - that it was going to rain. And a little rain hardly ever hurt anyone.

_"Makes everything look so messy, though."_

Hange hummed, drumming her fingers on a steering wheel. _She_ was a mess. She wondered if the grumpy one would like _her._

* * *

"The coast is clear," Floch announced once he was back inside the car.

"Any sign of our guy?" Hange asked, starting the car.

"Not yet," Floch shook his head.

"Someone is not a fan of punctuality," she tsked in mock disappointment. "Luckily, we're not in a hurry."

Hange drove the car inside the parking lot. Just as Floch had said, it was blessedly empty. She stopped near the center, so they would have a better vantage point. Then Hange turned off the engine and opened the door, walking out and stretching her limbs.

Now all they had to do was wait.

"Do you know what he looks like?" Floch stood next to Hange.

"I do. Zeke showed me a photo."

The man was probably working closely with them before. Hange felt like she knew him. But she wasn’t sure that sending her to meet with the man was a good idea. Sannes’s photo evoked a strong a sense of annoyance inside her. Hange wondered what kind of relationship they used to have before.

It wasn't long before she got her chance to find out. After several minutes of waiting, Sannes walked onto the parking lot. He wasn't alone, though. No, next to him was a short, dark-haired guy. There was... _something_ about him. Even though, his back was facing her, Hange couldn't look away. Her breath quickened and she watched him, unblinkingly, waiting for the man to show his face.

And then he _did_.

He turned around, for just a second, but it was enough for Hange to catch a glimpse of his face. Her knees almost gave up under her, as a short gasp escaped her lips.

It was— it was _Levi._

Hange's head began to spin as memories from her old life came rushing back to her. She staggered backwards, falling to her knees, as all of it nearly overwhelmed her. It felt like her skull was going to combust from all the information. She remembered now, remembered almost everything.

Her days at the academy, meeting Levi and Erwin and then befriending them both, her first case and hundreds that followed after it, the sleepless nights, spent in the precinct with Levi by her side, the morning coffees she shared with Erwin, the jokes she told to Moblit and his team during lunches, the bar where they went to drink at after work. She remembered Erwin’s smile and Levi’s scowl, remembered the soapy smell of his hair and the warmth of his hand on her shoulder. Remembered how tightly he pressed herself against his side whenever she had too much to drink at the bar. Remembered the concern that appeared inside his usually emotionless eyes whenever she got hurt or wounded. There was so much she was missing, there was so much that was _taken_ from her.

Hange seethed as she thought of what Zeke had done to her and everyone she cared about. Before she succumbed to the anger completely, though, rough hands grabbed her shoulders, grounding her in reality. She looked up, blinking a few times.

Floch was crouched in front of her.

"What the fuck?" he looked at her with a mix of annoyance and panic. "Have you finally lost it?"

 _Having your life turn upside will do that to you,_ Hange mentally scoffed.

But now she needed to focus. She couldn’t let Floch know that her memories came back.

So she put her feelings to the back of her mind, shutting them off, and forced a smile. "No need to worry," she patted Floch’s shoulder and rose to her feet. "Just feeling a little bit dizzy. Shouldn’t have skipped the breakfast."

Floch narrowed his eyes in suspicion, watching Hange for another second. But then he rolled his eyes and stood up too. Good, he seemed to have bought her lie. "You're such a freak."

"I'm simply unique," Hange grinned. "Now, hurry up and get to work."

"Huh?"

"Our guy, Floch," she pointed behind herself. "He's leaving. Go and talk to him."

"Didn't Zeke tell _you_ to do that?"

"He did, but things changed. See that shorty next to him?" the nickname rolled easily off her tongue. How could she forget her favorite clean freak, Hange wondered absentmindedly. She must have hit her head pretty badly. Levi always said she was too scatterbrained for her own good. "We need to distract him. I'll do that and you talk with our target. Alright?"

"Alright," Floch agreed.

As soon as Floch left, Hange sighed in relief. One less thing to worry about. For a second, she watched as Floch maneuvered between the cars in the shadows. Then she turned back to Levi. He was already finished with tearing Sannes a new one, and was now walking right in Hange’s direction. He was probably heading to his car, she tried to calm herself. She was well hidden in a shadow and she stood behind a car. He wouldn’t be able to see her. There was nothing to panic about. Still, Hange’s heart was beating so loudly, she was sure Levi could hear it too.

She wanted to go to him. Every part of her screamed with need to see Levi. To look at his scowling face, to hear his raspy voice. It took all of Hange’s willpower to tear her gaze away from him. She couldn’t do it, not right now. She was a mess, a clatter of old memories and dozen contrasting emotions. She needed to keep it together, to sort it all out.

Yes, that was what she was going to do. Fuck Floch and Sannes, she couldn’t deal with them right now. What she needed was to clear her head. With that in mind, Hange decided to get back inside the car. She looked back for a second, checking on Floch. He was already by Sannes’s side, leading him out of the parking lot. Then she glanced at Levi. He was standing on the other side of a parking lot, a distance away from Hange. He was next to his car, and Hange couldn’t keep a smile off her face, as she realized that he was wiping off a stain from his rear window. God, what a clean freak, she thought, feeling her chest fill with affection.

It wasn’t the time to stare or reminisce, though. She needed to move, to get out of here before her resolve crumbles. Hange took a step in the direction of her car. She did it slowly, not taking her eye off Levi even for a second. He was still fumbling with a stain, so she took another step. She was almost close enough to open the door. Hange lifted her leg and then—

And then her shoe squeaked.

Levi snapped his head around instantly, looking up in alarm. Hange put a hand over her mouth and sank to her knees. She froze in that position, watching Levi with wide, panicked eye.

“Who is there?” he asked, narrowing his eyes and taking a step closer. A car separated them, and Hange prayed that Levi wouldn’t check behind it.

He stood there for what felt like hours. Sweat began to drip down Hange’s forehead, as she tried to predict Levi’s next move. She heard him take another step and then put his hand on a hood of a car.

“Is anyone here?” Levi repeated his question.

Hange closed her eye, pressing hands tighter to her lips. If she so much as peeps right now, she was doomed.

Levi glanced between the cars and then sighed, turning around.

“I really need to sleep,” he muttered, raising a hand to ruffle his hair. He looked around the parking lot once again, and then started heading back to his car.

Hange waited for him to get inside, and only then allowed herself to relax.

“Fuck,” she breathed out, watching as Levi drove away. As soon as he left, Hange jumped up and hurried to her own car. She hopped in and started the engine, eager to leave this place behind as quickly as possible.

There was a lot she needed to think about.

* * *

Someone was looking after it.

There were fresh flowers – peonies, her favorite. All weeds had been taken out.

On a bright, white stone there was an epitaph engraved.   
  


_A brilliant mind. The kindest of hearts. A loyal, dear friend._ _  
Without your shining presence, the world had lost some of its light.  
  
_ Staring down at her own grave was... a weird experience. Hange wasn't yet sure how she felt about it.

Normal people would probably be weirded out by this. Some would start contemplating their own mortality and the impact they leave on the world. Most would be afraid to even look at it. Hange felt nothing but burning, _seething_ rage.

Zeke would pay for this. No matter what it takes, be it her own life, but Hange would bring him to justice. She would do anything to ruin his life. Just as he had ruined hers.

She didn't know for how long she was standing there motionlessly, lost to her swirling thoughts. The rain had started - a cold, heavy downpour - but Hange paid no mind to it. She was so far gone she didn't even hear the approaching footsteps. Or a quiet, shocked gasp.

She felt a trembling hand on her elbow, though. She whirled around and saw those piercing blue eyes.

Tears started to well up in her own eye, as she stared up at him.

"Hange?" Erwin whispered softly, quietly as though he was afraid that his loud voice would shutter the feeble illusion. That Hange would disappear like smoke in the wind. "Is that really you?"

"I guess?" she chuckled. The tears were now freely streaming down her face.

"Hange, _oh god_ ," Erwin threw away his umbrella and quickly shortened the distance between them, wrapping his arms around her.

Hange buried her face into his jacket, sobbing loudly.

"I missed you, Erwin. T-there is so much I need to tell you."

"And I'll gladly listen to you," Hange could hear a smile in his voice, and she felt her own lips curve upwards too. "But as for now," Erwin leaned in and gently kissed the crown of her head. "Welcome back, Hange."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soooo this is it??? not a lot of levihan or anything interesting this chapter, i know, but i'll continue with the murder mystery in the next one!!! thank for reading <333


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for those of you who still follow this story - i hope you enjoy your read!

Petra was walking down a street with a slight spring in her step. Today would be a good day, she could feel it. Entering the precinct, she was filled with a sense of giddy trepidation.

She couldn't _wait_ to see Levi. Last night's events seemed like a dream to her. Meeting detective Hange, almost getting into a fight with her and then watching her reunite with Levi - she couldn't quite believe that it actually happened. But it _did_ , and now Petra wondered if the change in Levi would be visible.

Would he drop the gloomy, irritated facade? Would she see him _smile_?

Ah, Petra was so excited!

She was so excited, so lost in her world that she didn't pay much attention to her surroundings. So when her forehead collided with someone else's, she got quite a surprise.

Petra jumped back, immediately apologizing. She lifted her eyes and met the icy stare of her partner.

She gulped. So he didn't drop the gloomy facade.

"Good morning!" she squealed, feeling her cheeks burn in embarrassment. Levi continued to bore his eyes into her, and Petra fidgeted, unsure of what to do and not knowing the reason for his anger.

She watched him beneath her eyelashes - Levi's face was pale with dark circles under his eyes. His shoulders were hunched and his posture was tense. Petra's eyebrows knitted together, it was all _wrong_.

She could explain the circles under his eyes, Levi met his long lost partner after two years of separation, of course, he didn't get much sleep last night. There was probably a lot they needed to discuss, and maybe... They did _other things_ too. But why was Levi so frustrated now? Did something happen between him and detective Hange? Did they have a fight?

"I was waiting for you," Levi said finally. "Put your things in the office and come to the forensics department. I'll be there."

And just like that, Levi was gone. Petra stared after him, confused and bewildered. He reunited with his beloved partner just yesterday, wasn't he happy about it?

She didn't have the time to ponder about it, though. Whatever was the reason for Levi's tenseness, she didn't wish to anger him anymore. And so she needed to hurry. Petra whirled around, heading to the elevators. Walking inside, she pushed the needed button with a heavy sigh. It looked like another long day was ahead of her. 

* * *

When Petra entered the forensics department, Levi was the only one there. He was standing in the middle of the room, his eyes narrowed and his lips pursed in deep thought, as he studied the stack of papers in his hands.

"Hey," Petra called timidly, gripping the side of the door tightly. "Where is everyone else?"

"Moblit and Nifa are busy in the dissection room," he answered without looking up. "They'll be here soon."

"Alright," Petra softly stepped inside. "Did you find something in there?" she gestured to the papers.

"Nothing that could give us a definite clue," Levi said, obviously annoyed by this fact. "The victim was dragged, just like the first time. The drug was injected into her neck, though, and not administered orally."

"Maybe, the killer was in a hurry?" Petra suggested.

"Possibly," Levi nodded. "Maybe, he didn't have the time to woo her like the last victim. Maybe, he needed to kill her that night because— _oh_ ," his eyes widened and he froze for a second, gripping the papers tighter. "It makes sense now," he whispered.

"What does?" Petra frowned, confused.

"Nothing," Levi shook his head. "Something Hange told me. I need to check it first. There is another thing, though."

"What?" Petra leaned closer, looking at papers behind Levi's shoulder.

"The jacket, there is a trace of Hange's DNA."

"So? You already identified it yesterday."

"Hange’s DNA is not the only one they found," Levi took out small package. "Here, look at this.” 

Petra snatched the package from his hands, curiously looking it over. She was quite disappointed to realize that inside was just a single hair.

"Isn't it..." she squinted a bit. The hair was brown. "Doesn't it belong to detective Hange?"

"No, hers is slightly different. The color is richer. And this one curls at the end."

"Alright," Petra had no choice but to agree. Apparently, she was talking with an expert, with someone who had spent a lot of his time staring at detective Hange's hair.

"Besides, it was confirmed that this hair doesn't belong to her. Obviously, it's from the killer."

 _Tall man with curly brown hair_ , Petra suddenly remembered. So the witness was right after all?

"Zeke most probably isn't the killer," Levi announced after a few seconds of tense silence. "Hange says there is no way he could be involved."

"And you believe it?" Petra asked carefully.

Levi hung his head. "I'm not sure. On one hand, no else has the motive for these killings. On the other, Hange is sure it's not him."

"How is she, by the way? Was everything alright last night?" Petra's gaze shifted from one corner of the room to another, unable to meet Levi's eyes. Fighting with her nervousness, she wriggled her hands behind her and continued. "You just seem a bit tense today, and I couldn't help but wonder why. I, well, _maybe_ I just expected you to be a little bit happier. Yesterday you've found out that your beloved is actually alive so—"

The papers fell from Levi's hands. Petra shut her mouth immediately, eyes snapping to her partner's face. They stared at each other for a long moment, the heavy silence hanging over the room. The strained atmosphere was destroyed by Levi's quiet curse.

"What the fuck Petra?" he crouched down, frantically gathering the papers. "We— four eyes and I are not—" he closed his eyes, scowling. "We are not lovers, for Christ's sake! How could you even think about it?"

"You... are not?" Petra stared down at him, her mouth agape. There was no way she could read the signs wrong. It was obvious!

"Of course we are not!" Levi snapped. "How did you come up with nonsense?"

Well, where Petra should even _begin_?

"You care so much about her!" she decided to start with the most obvious clue.

Levi raised an eyebrow, looking up at Petra from his position on the floor. "Don't you care about your friends?"

"Of course, I do," she huffed, resisting the urge to stomp her feet in frustration. Levi wasn't seriously trying to use the friend's card. She saw them yesterday, their relationship was obviously much more than simply platonic.

"You grieved for her for two years!"

"Just like any close friend would do," Levi replied. He rose up, fixing his tie and giving Petra an unimpressed look.

She wasn't going to give up so easily, though. There should be something, something Levi wouldn't be able to deny.

And then she remembered.

"The witness!" she pointed her finger at Levi's chest. "The concierge at detective Hange's old place, he recognized you! So you shared an apartment with her!"

"Don't be absurd," Levi waved her off, still completely unfazed. "I just visited her a lot. Hange could never wake up in time for work, so I used to visit her place to wake her up. Sometimes I came to make her dinner or clean that junkyard she called her home, that's all."

That's all? Levi woke her up in the mornings, they frequently had dinners together and he helped to clean her apartment? And they weren't in a relationship? She couldn't wrap her head around it. She saw them together, what they felt for each other was undeniable. Could they not see it?

"But—" she stuttered, unsure how to follow up.

Levi sighed. "Even if the subject was quite questionable, your dedication is admiring, detective," he patted her shoulder, walking past her. "However, your deduction was wrong."

It was not and she knew it. Petra knew she was right. She could do nothing, though. If Levi himself didn't notice his true feelings, she wasn't the one who could make him see. He had another _partner_ for that.

"If you have any questions regarding the case," Levi said when he was already in the doorway. "Wait for Moblit and Nifa. If you need me, I'll be in Erwin's office."

"Ah, okay," Petra answered feebly, watching the door close after him.

A moment later, however, another door opened. Nifa and Moblit walked inside.

"Petra!" Nifa squealed, hurriedly taking off the protective goggles and gloves. "How was your date? Did you enjoy it? Did he like your look? Did you two kiss? Did—"

"Nifa," Moblit smiled forcefully and squeezed her shoulder. "Take a breath and pay attention," he nodded at the papers in Petra's hands. "Detective Ral obviously didn't come here to discuss her personal life."

"Ah, yes," Petra finally snapped out of her stupor. "I did come here for work purposes, but," she laid the papers down on the nearest table. "I have a question too. It's kind of personal?"

"Oh?" Nifa pressed hands against her chest, her eyes alight with curiosity. "Spill it already."

And well, how should she begin? The straight approach was the easiest one, she decided.

"What is the nature of relationship between Levi and detective Zoe? Levi just told me they aren't lovers but is it really true? I mean, they're so..." she bit her lip, thinking. The word _close_ didn't quite cut it.

Nifa interrupted her musings, clasping her shoulder with a grin. "Ah, frustrated much with their relationship? Welcome to the club, dear," she announced chirpily.

"Wait," Moblit raised an arm, coming to stand directly in front of Petra. He loomed over her, his hazel eyes boring into her with unusual seriousness. "You discussed this with detective Levi? And why did you talk about detective Hange as though she is..." his voice cracked on the last word. Moblit closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "As though she is still alive?"

"Oh," Petra cast her eyes down, thinking. She forgot that Levi wasn't the only who cared about Hange. Should she tell them? Or should she keep it a secret? Levi said that he trusted the guys from forensics department, but how much? Would trust them with the secret of his partner?

In the end, it was the pain and misery in Moblit's eyes that pushed Petra to make a decision.

"The thing is..." she cleared her throat, not knowing where to look - at Moblit's nervous expression or at Nifa's confused one? "Detective Zoe is actually, well, she's alive."

"What?" Nifa's hands flew to her face.

Moblit squeezed the edge of the nearest table, using it as his support. "What..." he began quietly, uncertainly. "What are you talking about?"

"She survived the explosion,” Petra explained softly. “I've met her last night. In our office."

"You've never seen her though," Nifa frowned. "How can you be sure it's really detective Hange?

"Well," Petra's lips curved into a faint smile. "Levi had seen her too, so..."

"Oh," Nifa breathed out.

Meanwhile, Moblit sat heavily on the chair, covering his eyes with a palm.

“I don’t know how exactly she survived,” Petra added. “But she’s alive.”

Silence fell over the room. It lasted for a few more minutes, and then Nifa cried out in joy, lifting her hands in the air.

"Detective Hange is alive!" she exclaimed it with the biggest smile. "We should celebrate! Moblit, make us tea! And bring my apple pie!"

Despite his shaken state, Moblit was on his feet instantly, ready to fulfill Nifa's request.

"Thank you for telling us," he whispered to Petra, giving her a quick hug. "It means so much to me."

"Sure," Petra patted his back awkwardly.

"Right," Moblit took a step back, letting her go. "Now, the tea."

"So," Nifa sat down, putting hands under her chin. "How our detective Hange is doing? Does she still look so cool?"

"I don't know..." Petra scratched the back of her head. "She has a patch over her left eye now, though."

"Ah," Nifa sighed dreamily. "So she looks even cooler now."

"Don't mind her," Moblit advised, as he put the tray with tea and pie on the table in front of them. Petra thanked him and joined Nifa. "She just used to have the biggest of crushes on detective Hange."

"Oi, shut up," Nifa smacked his arm. "As if you're that different from me."

"I don't have a crush on Hange," he denied, glaring at Nifa. "I just admire her a lot. _Platonically_."

"Oh, sure," Nifa huffed. "Should I tell Petra about that time when you invited Hange on a date, Mr. Platonic Admiration?"

"It wasn't a date," Moblit said stubbornly. "I just had a spare ticket to a very interesting science exhibition, and I knew Hange likes this stuff, so I decided to take her with me."

"Tell her," Nifa nudged, sending a piece of pie in her mouth. "Tell Petra what happened next."

Moblit sighed. "She agreed to come with me."

"And?" Nifa prompted further, smiling slyly.

He turned his face away. "And then she showed up together with detective Ackerman."

"Oh," Petra rubbed Moblit's back soothingly. "It must have been rough."

"It was okay," he forced a smile. "Besides, Nifa here," he pointed his fork at her with a smug look. "Used to have a crush on both of them."

"So what?" Nifa shrugged. "I don't deny it. They both look very good and have you ever seen them in action? Once I watched them spar with each other in the gym. It's the hottest thing I've ever seen."

"Eugh,” Moblit cringed. "However," he turned to Petra. "You should have seen how she tried to flirt with them. It was hilarious. And a bit awkward, since none of them really noticed her attempts."

"Yeah," Nifa agreed solemnly. "As smart as they are, they are so oblivious," she shook her head. "They're too focused on each other."

"So," Petra gripped the cup tighter in her hands. "It's true? They aren't a thing?"

Nifa laughed. "They're most definitely _a thing_. They just don't know about it."

"Oh."

"But, since detective Hange is alive, they have time to figure it out," Moblit smiled encouragingly. Then the smile vanished from his face, as he fixed Nifa with a strict gaze. "We, however, don't have the time. Finish your tea and get up. We still have a lot work."

"Yes, dad," Nifa whined.

"I need to get going as well," Petra smiled, finishing her tea. "Thanks for the conversation and for the snacks, but Moblit is right. The work doesn't wait. I'll see you soon."

"Goodbye!" Nifa waved her hand. "We'll be waiting for you to come back!"

Petra waved back and then headed to the door, still smiling softly.

* * *

On her way to the office, at the opposite end of the hallway, Petra saw a familiar figure. Her first instinct was to run and hide. To her dismay, however, he already noticed her.

"Detective Ral!" Sannes called, hurrying to get to her.

As he came closer, Petra noticed that he wasn't alone - a young, dark-haired man was trudging after him. Petra didn't recognize him. Was he not from the precinct?

"I haven't seen you yesterday," he said, as he finally caught up with her.

"Had been busy with a case," Petra mumbled, staring at Sannes' companion. He wasn't a part of the police, she was sure of it. His clothes - buggy shirt and ripped jeans - further confirmed her suspicion. Who was he then? And why was he making her feel so uneasy?

"A case?" Sannes' companion asked, flashing Petra an awfully smug grin. "You're talking about the recent murders, right? I've heard they're pretty gruesome," even as he said this, the smile didn't leave his face. Petra's skin prickled in alarm. There was something about this man - she couldn't quite pinpoint what exactly - but something about him was disturbing. Her guts feelings were screaming, telling her to get away from him.

"Do you have a suspect already?" he continued, oblivious to her discomfort. Before Petra could even start thinking what to reply, the man beat her to it. "I've heard Zeke Yeager is the culprit, is it true?"

"It's not," Sannes interfered, the smile on his face wavered, turning into a grimace. He grasped the elbow of his companion, his grip so tight Petra wondered if it would leave bruises. "Forgive him, Ral. He's a new intern, and there is much he has to learn."

"For example, he should know that Zeke Yeager had been dead for two years," Petra offered with innocent expression.

"Um, yeah," Sannes nodded. He avoided looking her in the eyes, and watching him squirm, Petra internally cheered.

"Anyway, we should go, I was just finishing giving him a tour around the precinct."

"Good luck," she smiled. "Hope you'll enjoy your new workplace, _intern_ ," she added, not bothering to hide the sarcasm.

The intern glared at her, breathing heavily. He obviously wanted to say something, but the grip Sannes had on his elbow and the death looks he had been sending him, persuaded him to keep his mouth shut. Sannes gave him a rough shove, pushing him in another direction.

"See you, Ral," he said and walked away.

Petra watched them go, the cogs turning in her head. How could this man know about Zeke? Except from her, Levi and Captain Erwin, no one could know that he's considered a suspect. No one could know that he's considered _alive_. Then how did Sannes find out? How did _this man_ find out? Who was he? Why did he make her feel so nervous? And where did she—

_Oh._

Petra finally remembered. The witness testimony. The tall man with dark curly hair. He fitted the description perfectly. Could it really be him? Why would Sannes conspire with a killer, though? And why would he ask after Zeke? Could it be that—

No, Petra rejected the idea even before it was fully formed in her mind. It was too outlandish, ridiculous.

However... Her gut was telling her otherwise. She needed to check it. And she already knew how to get closer to the truth. It wasn't a good plan, stupid even, Levi would never agree to it. Luckily, Petra knew someone, who could help.

She turned around, heading into another wing of the precinct.

She needed to find Oluo.

* * *

"Erwin?" Levi called, knocking on the door of his office. "It's me, Levi. Are you in here? Can I come in?"

"Wait for a bit please!" Erwin shouted behind the door. "I'm busy."

"Asshole," Levi muttered, leaning against the wall. "First calls me here and now he's busy."

Just as he prepared to glare at the door before Erwin finishes with whatever he was doing, his phone started vibrating in the back pocket of his pants. He took it out, staring at the screen. He received a message. From unknown number. Frowning in confusion, he opened the message.

_Still alive and kicking. Don't worry shorty :D_

Levi huffed. He didn’t _worry._ He was just slightly curious about her wellbeing. Before he could start typing his response, two new messages appeared.

_don't give erwin shit btw. He kept it a secret because i asked him to._

_don't you dare punch him, levi. I will know. And I won't be pleased about it._

Levi rolled his eyes, feeling the familiar annoyance stir inside him. The annoyance he hadn't felt for two years. He bit down a smile, typing a quick reply. 

Just as he was finishing, the door to Erwin's office opened. Nile Dawk, the captain of special enforcement unit, and Dot Pixis, the captain of property and crime scene unit, walked out.

Dawk looked grim as he pushed past Levi, not sparring him a glance. Pixis, however, was as cheerful as always.

"Good day, detective," he said, clasping Levi's shoulder. "How are you doing?"

"Great," Levi pushed himself off the wall. "Excuse me, Captain, but I need—"

"Of course," Pixis winked. "Have a nice, productive shift!"

"Sure," Levi mumbled, giving him a weird look.

"What the fuck was that about?" he asked Erwin as soon as he closed the door to his office. "Since when you're buddies with Pixis and Dawk?"

“It’s important to maintain a friendly relationship with other units.”

“Don’t give me that crap,” Levi plopped down onto a chair in front of Erwin’s desk. “What are you planning this time?”

Erwin turned his face to the side, hiding a smile. “It’s too early to tell.”

“Whatever,” Levi mumbled, sitting back in the chair. If Erwin wanted to keep his secrets, so be it. He didn’t give a shit.

No, Levi instantly corrected himself. There was _one_ secret that he did give a shit about. And Erwin kept it from him purposefully.

“ _Don’t you dare punch him_ ,” the voice in his head reminded him. Of course, it was Hange’s.

The temptation to defy her was big, but he'd try to keep it together. For her sake. 

"So?" Levi crossed hands on his chest. "What did you call me here for?"

"Ah, yes," Erwin got to his feet, reaching the cupboard next to his desk and taking two cups from it. "I wanted to ask how you're doing," he started making tea for them, facing away from Levi. "It was a difficult day for you."

"That it was," Levi agreed, boring his eyes into Erwin's back. "But it got better. I met someone. An old friend."

"Oh?"

He continued watching Erwin, waiting for his reaction.

"Yeah, four-eyes said hello."

Erwin froze. Just for a second, but he _did_.

"Levi, I'm sorr—"

"No," Levi said harshly. "No, you're not."

To his credit, Erwin didn't try to protest. He carefully put the teacups on the desk and then sat back in his chair.

"For how long?" Levi asked. "For how long did you know?"

Erwin sighed. "For almost a year."

 _Fuck_. Levi gripped the arms of a chair so tightly the old wood creaked. He wanted to kick the desk in front of him. Wanted to take that damn teacup and smash it against the wall. How could they? How could they hide it from him for so long?

"You know how much I care for her," he began, his voice calm despite the emotions swirling inside of him. "You knew how much I grieved, how much I've missed her. And you let me suffer."

"I know that you feel betrayed, Levi. I know that you're angry," Levi scoffed. _Angry?_ That was an understatement. He was fucking furious. "But you must understand - I couldn't tell you."

"And why the fuck not?"

"Hange asked me."

"But why? Why did she ask you to keep it from me?"

Erwin's eyes softened. "You know why, Levi. You know why she wanted to keep you away. You wouldn’t let her go. And you wouldn't have let her follow through with her plan."

"So you agree with that idiotic plan?"

"No," Erwin answered firmly. "I want to get Zeke as much as she does. But I'm not going to sacrifice Hange's life to do it."

Levi exhaled. He didn't even know it, but he was afraid to hear Erwin's answer. He was afraid that he lost an ally in the battle against Hange's stubbornness and martyr complex.

"So you have another plan?"

"Yes," Erwin nodded.

"And Hange doesn't know about it?"

"Not yet."

"That's why you're conspiring with Pixis and Dawk, right?" Levi guessed.

"Like I said," Erwin clenched his jaw, determination shining in his gaze. "I'm working on it."

After hearing this, most of the tension left Levi's body. He slumped in the chair, reaching out for his teacup.

"That's it?" Erwin raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to even punch me?"

Levi made a face. "Hange asked me to spare you."

Well, she didn't ask, but _ordered_ him. Obviously, Erwin didn't need to know that.

"Ah, I should thank her then," Erwin chuckled. "She saved my life after all."

"Don't be so dramatic," Levi rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't have punched you that hard. Maybe, just broke your nose or jaw."

"Yeah," Erwin winced, rubbing his nose. "I'm glad we could avoid that."

Levi was glad too. If he really broke Erwin's nose, it would be such a mess. There'd be so much blood, and he'd have to clean it all by himself. Yeah, good thing they avoided it.

"Something still bothers you," Erwin noted, lifting the cup to his lips. "Care to share it with me?"

As always, Erwin was right. There was something that he couldn't stop thinking about. It plagued him ever since that kiss Hange planted on his cheek. And it began tormenting him after his morning conversation with Petra.

"Do Hange and I look like a couple?"

Erwin choked, coughing and spluttering tea all around his table. Levi tsked, rushing to Erwin's side to clasp his back a few times.

"What the fuck Levi?" he croaked out in between his coughs. "You can't just ask things like that."

"What?" Levi frowned. "It was a simple question. Petra mentioned it today. She thought, no, she was _convinced_ that Hange and I," Levi cringed a little. "That we are romantically involved."

"Well," Erwin straightened in his seat, wiping his face with a handkerchief. "She's not the only one who thinks about you two that way."

"What?" Levi's eyes widened. "Who is it?" he demanded.

Erwin smiled. "Pretty much everyone at the precinct thought you were dating."

"But we— we did _not_ ," Levi protested helplessly.

"I know," Erwin comforted him. "Why does it bother you, though? It's just gossip, you were never the one to care what people say behind your back."

"And I still don't. I just— something happened last night," Levi closed his eyes for a second, recalling that small moment. "Hange— she kissed me. On a cheek!" he clarified, seeing Erwin's shocked expression. "You know four-eyes, she doesn't know what personal space is, but— it made me feel, I don't know, warm inside? I wanted her to do it again," he paused, taking a breath. This convention was making him feel so damn embarrassed, but he already started it. May as well finish it. "I remembered then, that warm feeling. It appeared frequently before you know," he shook his head. "Hange's death or whatever the fuck it was, but I was too busy then to stop and think about it. And after Hange was gone, I didn't really want to think about it. So, what do you think, Erwin? Could it be—"

"I don't know," Erwin said earnestly. "I'm not an expert in relationship, Levi. Especially, em, that _kind_ of relationship, but... You have time. Hange's back, and I'll make sure, do my damnedest to make sure that she's back for good. You can figure it out together."

"Together, huh," Levi repeated. He liked the sound of it.

After all, that's when Hange and he were at their best. When they were _together_.

* * *

_Back from the dead for less than a day and already getting on my nerves, four-eyes?_

Staring down at the phone, Hange grinned. As she thought about his grumpy face, the grin grew wider.

"What are you smiling at?"

Hange quickly put the phone back into the pocket of _Levi's_ coat. She looked up and saw Pieck and Porco stare back at her.

"Just a text," she said, shoving hands deep into the coat's pockets.

"A text?" Pieck arched an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you've got yourself a date or something."

"I don't have a date or something," Hange mimicked Pieck’s voice, earning a glare from her. "Just a friend."

Pieck continued to watch her with narrowed eyes. Hange looked back, still grinning.

"Is it a new coat?" Porco asked, interrupting their staring contest. "It's nice."

"You've got the wrong size," Pieck commented. "It's too small on you."

"Ah," Hange scratched the back of her head. "It was the last one."

"Hm," Pieck finally looked away. "We should go. The faster we deal with the job, the better."

"Aw, you don't want to spend more time with me, Pieck?" Hange nudged her in the side. "And here I thought we were becoming friends..."

Pieck sighed, shifting her gaze to Porco. "Bye, Pock. Talk to you later."

Then she started walking and Hange had no choice but to follow.

"So," she began, falling into step with her. "What Zeke wants us to do?"

"Check some of the local businesses, demand the protection money, threaten if they refuse. The usual stuff."

Hange let out a barely audible sigh. She hated this kind of work the most. Looking into the pleading faces of helpless owners, taking from them more than they could give - it was the worst. She still had to do it, though. She had to keep her cover. At least, today Floch wasn't her companion. Pieck, as sarcastic as she was, was a much, _much_ preferred partner.

"You're spacing out again," Pieck's bored voice brought Hange back to present.

"Huh? I'm not."

"You've been doing it a lot today,” Pieck continued, ignoring her protest. “And you... you look happy. I don't think I've ever seen you smile so brightly before. Let's take a turn here," not giving Hange the chance to answer, Pieck grabbed her elbow, stirring her a bit to the left. "It's a shortcut."

"You really don't want spend more time with me than absolutely necessary," Hange noted with a grin. "Don't you enjoy our friendly banter?"

"I do," Pieck said, making Hange whip her head to stare at her. There was a small, bittersweet smile on her pretty face. "Truth be told, I'm going to miss it."

Blinking a few times, surprised by Pieck's words, Hange chuckled. "You're making it sound like I'm going away soon..."

"Don't you?"

Hange stopped abruptly.

"What are you trying to say, Pieck?" she asked, carefully observing her companion.

"I may not be as smart as you Hange,” Pieck huffed. “But I'm not dumb. I notice things too. Zeke's worst nightmare came to life, didn’t it? Your memories, they came back?"

"I—"

"And that means we're screwed, right? You'll take revenge on Zeke and us for lying to you."

"How?" Hange whispered, shocked by Pieck's perception. And here she thought she was so smart, so careful. "How did you find out?"

"It's in your eyes. Well, _eye_ ," Pieck sent her a sympathetic look. "It was confused before, lost. Now there is nothing but determination in your gaze."

"You've been staring at me a lot, Pieck," Hange teased, trying to clear the tense atmosphere. And mask her nervousness.

"That's my job."

"Does Zeke know?"

"No," Pieck started walking again, looking straight ahead. "And he won't know. Not from me at least."

"What?" Hange ran to catch up to her. "Why won't you tell him?"

"Because I understand," Pieck replied simply. "Because Zeke ruined your life, lied to you again and again, using your skills and intelligence. Because if I were in your place, I'd be filled with rage and desire to make him pay."

"I..." Hange swallowed a lump in her throat. "Thank you, Pieck. When— when shit hits the fan, I won't involve you. You'll be able to escape, I promise."

"Oi," Pieck smacked her arm. "I didn't tell you this because I wanted to get on your good side, weirdo."

"I know," Hange smiled. "I was going to do it anyway. You..." she faltered, pressing fingers to the patch on her face. "You've been there for me. You've helped me. You could have gotten in trouble with Zeke for that, but you still decided to help me. I won't forget that."

"Don't involve Porco," Pieck blurted out. "I know I'm asking for too much, but—"

"I get it," Hange cut her off. "Your safety won't mean a thing, if he's not safe too."

"I— yes," Pieck nodded. "You really get it."

 _More than you know_ , Hange thought, as an image of a certain scowling midget appeared in her mind.

"For how long have you known?" Hange she asked Pieck casually. "About me getting my memories back?"

"Almost a year."

So she figured her out almost instantly. Not bad, Hange decided with a weird sense of pride.

"And Zeke? He still hasn't caught up?"

 _Tha_ t was weird. Zeke was exceptionally smart. Could it really be that he still didn't know?

"Maybe, he suspects it. But I think he doesn't want to believe it."

"How come?" Hange frowned. She was utterly confused. She always thought that if Zeke were ever to find out about her memory coming back, he'd deal with her instantly.

"Because he needs you. Don't sell yourself short, Hange," Pieck scolded. "You're valuable to us. More than you actually realize. You've been two years with us, and during this time we managed to keep ourselves completely below police's radar. Our profits raised, our gang became bigger and we found ourselves new allies. And all of it because of you."

Hange lowered her head, completely flustered. It was a while since anyone had praised her so. There was another thing she needed to know, though. She promised Levi she’d look into his case. And she needed to be sure. If Pieck was right and Zeke actually valued her, then...

"You said Zeke needs me, right? Would he listen to me? Does he value my opinion?"

Pieck knitted her eyebrows together. "Something happened," she didn’t ask, simply stated it. Hange was impressed with her more and more.

"Yes," Hange nodded. "While you and Zeke were on your trip abroad, two women were murdered."

"So? A lot of people die in this city."

Hange shook her head. "Not like this. The way these women were killed - it's obvious that someone is trying to set Zeke up," Hange didn't give to shits about Zeke, anyone who tried to get him behind bars was a friend. But they've taken two innocent lives. And they hurt Levi. She wouldn't let them get away with that. "If I tell him about it—"

"You'll have to tell him the truth then. About your memory coming back. It won't end well, Hange," Pieck warned.

"I know," If Zeke will find out about it, it'd destroy all of her carefully constructed plans. She was willing to take that chance, though. Her revenge could wait. "I won't be facing him alone. I— I'm planning on bringing backup."

"Backup?" Pieck repeated incredulously. "You'll have to find someone good, someone who would be able to make him reconsider killing you on a spot. Someone who can actually scare Zeke."

"Don't worry," Hange grinned. "I know just the guy."

And taking out her phone, she typed a short message.

_Hey partner, wish to remember the good old days?_


	9. Chapter 9

"Have you lost your goddamn mind?" Levi paced around Erwin's office, his face dark with fury and his hands clenched into fists. "Erwin, since she won't listen, _never_ listens to me!" he sent a sizzling gaze at Hange. "You tell that idiot that she lost her mind!"

"Levi—"

"Don't fucking _Levi_ me, four-eyes!" he cut her off harshly. "What the fuck is wrong with you? That fucker ruined your life, and now, what, you're defending him?"

"I'm not—"

"I don't understand it! Just a few days ago you wanted to catch him. You were ready to sacrifice your own _life_ to get that bastard. What the fuck had happened since then? Why are you trying to save him?"

"Levi." Hange’s voice was quiet, _low._ So unlike her usual one, it made shivers run down his spine. Levi knew that voice, Hange reserved almost exclusively for the worst, most despicable criminals and greedy snobs from the brass. She used this voice with him only once. And it was one of the most unpleasant moments of his life.

Hange slowly rose from her seat at the sofa and came to stand in front of Levi, looming over him. In the semi-darkness of Erwin's office, her eye was burning with fury. 

"Shut up and _listen_. Stop focusing on your desire to avenge Zeke. Believe me, I can't wait to get him behind bars, that's the only thing that got me through these past two years, but can't you see it? Someone's obviously trying to set him up."

"So what?"

"So _what_?" Hange repeated, disbelief and irritation painting her voice. "Do I really need to spell it out for you? If you let Zeke go to prison for someone else's crime, then the real criminal won't be punished for the death of two civilians. Is that what you want? Have you forgotten about your duty?"

_Fuck._

Levi took a step back from Hange, lowering his head and hiding his eyes from her. She was right, of course, she was right. He was too blinded by his hatred to see it.

"Besides," Erwin spoke up, reminding them that he was still there. He was sitting at his desk, hands folded beneath his chin. Levi looked up, staring at him cautiously. When Erwin wore that particular expression – brows furrowed and lips pressed in a line – it always meant bad news. "Zeke is not the only one who's being set up."

"What do you—" 

"I've been thinking about this too," Hange agreed. 

Levi let out a low growl. He hated when these two did it. Kept him in the dark about their _genius_ revelations. 

"So? Fuckling enlighten me then."

"Think, Levi," Erwin said, his frown deepening. "What would have happened if you try to tell anyone that Zeke is the real murderer?"

"I—"

"They'd call you insane," Hange answered for him. Despite her sympathetic tone, her face showed the same graveness as Erwin’s. "For everyone else, Zeke had been dead for two years."

"Yes, but—"

"You could prove that he's alive," Erwin agreed with a small nod. "And that may even work. But if you don't," he shook his head. "They'd kick you out. Sannes has been trying to find the excuse for a long time now."

" _What_?"

_That_ was news to him. Sure, he knew that he had somewhat tense relationship with Sannes. But to go as far as to try to fire him? What a fucker. 

"He had been complaining about your work for a while," Erwin explained. "I do what I can to protect you, but Sannes got almost every captain on his side. I thought that if I make you agree to accept another partner, he'd stop, but—"

"He didn't," Levi guessed. "What did that asshole do this time?"

"During the brass's meeting this morning, he raised the issue of your discharge once more. I managed to convince a couple of captains—"

_Dawk and Pixis_ , Levi realized. And if he could somewhat understand why Pixis would vouch for him, the man looked like a goof, but always had some hidden motive, what Erwin could have promised to straight-laced, bullheaded Dawk? Levi refused to believe that he agreed to help simply out of the kindness of his heart. 

"But others still push for your dismissal,” Erwin continued, his clenched jaw showing all of his disapproval and annoyance. “This case will be decisive. If you find the killer, you'd keep the job, if you fail—"

"They'd kick me out," Levi realized. _Fuck_. He didn't want that to happen. He liked his job. A lot. He wouldn't know what to do with his life without it. 

"Now you understand why you can't just go around, claiming Zeke is the killer."

"Because that's what Sannes wants me to do," Levi agreed.

_Scheming bastard._

"Fine," Levi announced. "You won, I agree that turning Zeke in isn't the best course of action. But," he leveled Hange with a fierce glare. "I still don't understand why you would want to tell Zeke about everything."

"We might need his help. Besides," Hange shrugged, her motions easy and careless. "He'll find out anyway. I want it to happen on my terms."

"There is nothing I can say to change your mind, right?"

Hange shrugged again, grinning lopsidedly. 

Levi sighed. "Fuck. Alright, tell me about you plan again."

* * *

"Are you kidding me?" Oluo took a step back, shaking the hand Petra wrapped around his wrist to drag him here.

She brought him to a hallway at the east wing of a precinct. Old and unused, it was one of the most secluded areas. No one ever walked in here. It wasn't even properly lighted, and Oluo's irritated mien disappeared with each flicker of a pale fluorescent lamp.

"Please, tell me you're kidding."

"I—"

"Are you seriously asking me to spy on deputy police chief? What the fuck, Petra? Is your partner's paranoia contagious?"

"What?" Petra blinked a few times, mimicking the flickering light above them. "Levi is not paranoid."

" _Sure_ ," Oluo drew, following it with a short huffed laugh. "Everyone knows he's got a few screws loose."

"No," Petra argued with a confused frown. "You're wrong. You've said it yourself, Levi is a great detective."

"He _wa_ s a great detective. Until his partner died. His success rate dropped and he became even more secluded than usual. Did you know that there are talks about his discharge?”

No, Petra _didn’t_ know about that. Why didn’t she know about that? Did Levi know?

“I didn't tell you, because I know how much respect you hold for the man. But it's not a secret to anyone that he's obsessed with conspiracy theories. And the fact that you want to spy on freaking Sannes only confirms it. He's lost it and now he's dragging you along with him as well."

"You don't understand—"

"Of course I don't," Oluo said, sarcasm dripping from his every word. "I'm such a fool after all..."

Petra drowned out the rest of his blubbering. She heard something, just a second ago. She closed her eyes, straining her hearing. Oluo's voice was severely distracting, but it seemed like...

Without thinking more about it, Petra acted. She needed to create a diversion, she needed to make their little meeting look less suspicious. So she grabbed the back of Oluo's neck and dragged him down, pressing her lips to his. 

The moment stretched on, as she listened, with her eyes still closed. She was sure she heard someone's steps. But now the hallway was silent, save for the quiet sound of Oluo's _moan_?

Right, Oluo. Oh god, _Oluo._

Petra jumped back from him, mortified and embarrassed. Her cheeks were so red, she felt like her skin was going to catch on fire.

She _kissed_ Oluo. She kissed him on the lips in the dark, deserted hallway. 

Her father didn't raise her like this. 

And, sure, she kissed him just yesterday, but it was a _very_ different kind of kiss. That kiss was innocent, _chaste_. There was nothing chaste about their second kiss. 

"Sorry!" she squealed, covering her face with hands. Embarrassed, she was so _embarrassed_. 

"Huh, Petra," Oluo's lips curved into that irritating smirk Petra hated so much. "You've come up with all that nonsense just to get me here and steal a kiss? I'm flattered, really."

"Shut up," Petra whimpered, still hiding behind her hands. "I thought someone was coming and I panicked, and, hey!" She glared between her fingers. "I was being serious! I need your help, Oluo. I know that Levi doesn't have a very good reputation but—"

"He thinks his dead partner is alive," Oluo said in a grave voice. 

"Oh," Petra dropped her arms to the side, looking up at him. "But she _is_ alive."

Oluo's face fell. "Petra..."

"No, no!" she shook her head. "I know how it sounds, but detective Zoe is _actually_ alive, I've seen her with my own two eyes."

The hallway was silent for a long, long moment. Oluo kept staring at her, searching for something on her face.

Then he raised his hand to rub his forehead and let out a long, tired sigh.

"...Oh. Um. Okay, yeah, alright, I believe you,” he didn’t look utterly convinced, but he stopped looking at Petra like she had gone insane, and she counted it as a win. “ _Maybe_ , detective Ackerman isn't a complete lunatic after all. But... How is it connected with deputy chief Sannes?"

"He's crooked. He's been working with criminals and I know it. I just need a real, substantial proof."

"Sannes is crooked, oh god,” Oluo closed his eyes. “Another big revelation, alright. Let’s not focus on it right now, or I’ll have a panic attack. Do you know who he’s working with?”

Petra pursed her lips. “I’m not sure yet, Levi doesn’t tell me much, but I think he might be working with Zeke Yeager.”

“Yeager?” Oluo repeated. “I’ve heard this name.”

“Yeah, Zeke Yeager, he was a notorious criminal back—”

“No,” Oluo shook his head. “Not Zeke. I’ve heard the name _Yeager_ before. Read it in one of the reports, I just can’t remember what the case was about. Maybe, it’s a just a coincidence, but it was about Grisha Yeager. The name was so strange, that’s why it stuck with me.”

“Hm,” Petra frowned, tapping her chin. “Grisha Yeager… No, I don’t know that name.”

“Doesn’t matter then,” Oluo shrugged. “Better tell me - how you're intending to get your proof?"

"I don't know," Petra hanged her head, fidgeting with a sleeve of her blouse. "I've thought about following Sannes home…"

"What?"

"But later I realized that it won't produce any results, because I doubt he has frequent meetings with his allies. Then I thought that getting inside his computer might be a good idea—"

" _What_?"

"But then again, there's no guarantee that he keeps important data there. And it would be pretty hard to get past his password. I wasn't able to guess Levi's password after all. But!" Petra looked up, a smile present on her face. Oluo didn't like that smile. It wasn't Petra's usual warm and pretty one. This one had a weird, almost feral edge to it. "I've come up with another plan, and that's why I need your help!"

"What do you need me for?" Oluo asked slowly, eyeing her carefully. He was almost afraid to hear the answer. 

"You have keys from a depository, right?"

"Right..."

"And you're friends with Dita, the janitor, yeah?"

"Yep..."

"So!" she clasped her hands, looking unusually delighted for a person who was in a middle of plotting a very dangerous and definitely _illegal_ scheme. "I need you to go into repository and took a wire from there, and then I need you to go to Dita and—"

"And ask him to give me keys from Sannes' office?" Oluo guessed. "We'll be discovered in no time, Petra. Dita and I aren't that close of friends."

"I know," Petra rolled her eyes. "That's why you'll steal them!"

"Petra!" he exclaimed with a scandalized expression. 

"Shh," she smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be fine, I promise. You'll get a wire and a key, we'll get inside Sannes' office and plant the wire. I'll be able to listen in to his conversations, and no one will suspect a thing. Oluo, please?"

It was a stupid and extremely daring plan. If it failed, they'd be kicked out of force immediately. In the best case scenario. In the worst - they'd go to jail for breaking and entering the policeman's office. 

But Petra's smile was really nice, her hand on his shoulder was so warm, and she looked right at him, batting her long and pretty eyelashes. 

He was never a man with strong will. Oluo’s resolve crumbled. 

"Fine," he sighed, refusing to even think about possible consequences. "But you owe me, Petra. This whole scheme is worth two dates. Minimum!" he finished, raising a finger. 

"If we manage to succeed, we'll go on as much dates as you want."

"And kisses? Will you give me more kisses?"

"Of course," Petra murmured, leaning in to give Oluo exactly what he wanted.

* * *

"Call me when you finish with this, erm, meeting of yours," Erwin said, when Hange and Levi were ready to leave the office.

“Will do, captain!” Hange saluted, giggling.

Listening to the sound of her laughter and staring at Erwin’s smiling face, warmth spread through Levi’s chest as he was hit with a wave of nostalgia. Just a day ago, he would have never thought that he’d get to experience this. His two best friends, laughing together, as if nothing had changed. As if these two years, filled with grief and misery, had never happened.

The warm and familiar atmosphere enchanted Levi. The corners of his lips slowly lifted into a smile.

“Come on, four-eyes,” he turned to the door, hiding his joyous expression. His soft voice treacherously betrayed his feelings anyway.

"Wait!" Hange called the moment they left Erwin's office.

The hallway around them was dark, deserted. It was almost ten pm, so it wasn't a surprise that the precinct was so quiet.

Leaning against the wall, Hange took off her backpack and started rummaging through it. "Wait, wait, wait, I've got something for you. Here!" she announced with a proud grin, presenting Levi with his own coat.

Levi hesitantly accepted it, arching an eyebrow. "How did you manage to fold it so neatly?"

"It's one of my secret powers, of course!" Hange fixed her glasses with a cheeky grin.

"Hm," he narrowed his eyes. "Did you take it to the laundry?"

"Um, no," Hange answered, rubbing her neck sheepishly. "Didn't have the time to do that."

_Good_ , Levi almost said. He wanted Hange's scent to linger, he hoped it did.

He carefully unfolded and put the coat on, lifting the collar. It was faint, but Hange's scent was present. He pushed his hands inside the pockets, feeling strangely content.

Still, something gnawed at him.

"Hey," he glanced up. He tilted his head to the side, giving Hange's dark green blazer a critical look. "Is that shitty jacket of yours warm enough?"

A soft, gentle smile bloomed on Hange's lips. Just the sight of it made Levi's breath catch in his throat. His recently discovered feelings made themselves known again. Goddamn it, she was beautiful. How he had never seen it before? He was a fool.

"I'll be alright, shorty, don't you worry. Your concern is touching, though."

Levi forcefully tore his eyes away from her face and tsked, trying to fill the sound with as much annoyance as possible. Hange's smile didn't even falter, and it meant that he wasn’t too successful in hiding his true feelings. That, or Hange just knew him all too well. It was probably both.

"Just don't want you catching pneumonia or some other shit after you just got back from the dead." He grunted, dead set on keeping his aloof demeanor.

"Touching," Hange repeated in a singing voice.

"Shut up," he groaned, fighting a smile that threatened to appear on his face.

He shook his head and headed to the elevators.

"Hey," Hange touched his sleeve. "Can we take the stairs instead?"

"Are you restless?" Levi asked, as he turned around, leading Hange to the stairs just like she requested.

"A little," she chuckled awkwardly. "Not exactly afraid, but, um, nervous. And excited. I can't wait to see Zeke's face when I tell him the truth."

As that image entered his mind, Levi let out a soft chuckle as well.

"Thanks for bringing me with you then. I'd like to see it too."

They couldn't get Zeke in jail right now, and as much as that knowledge pained Levi, there were other ways to make his life a living hell. He couldn’t wait to exploit some of them.

"Wait," Hange suddenly raised her arm, stopping him. Her face became sharp, focused, as her gaze was trained at the dark hallway in front of them.

"Hange?"

"There is someone there," she whispered, taking one cautious step forward. Instinctively, Levi mimicked her soft stride. "I heard some muttering."

"Sannes' office is that way," Levi whispered back. "You think it's him?"

"Only one way to find out," Hange said with a rueful grin.

Before she could take another step, Levi wrapped his fingers around her wrist.

"You shouldn't go in here,” he said, his voice urgent. “Let me handle it. We can't let Sannes know you're alive."

"I disagree. The cat is almost out of the bag as it is. Let him know who he's up against."

"You're too reckless," Levi scolded with a shake of his head. He didn't try to stop her though.

They went ahead, each move slow and deliberate. The muttering became louder and when Levi and Hange turned the corner, they saw two figures, standing next to the door to Sannes' office. Levi narrowed his eyes with a frown.

One short figure seemed _strangely_ familiar.

He cursed under his breath.

"Petra!" he shouted.

The woman whirled around, pressing hands to her chest with a shocked gasp.

"Levi!"

Levi strode closer, his scowl deep and dark.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" he hissed.

"I wanted to know more about Sannes' intentions, so... We broke inside his office and planted a wire there."

Levi cursed again, more creatively this time. Beside him, Hange started laughing.

"It’s not fucking funny, four-eyes," he glowered, not taking his eyes from the young woman in front of him.

Petra stood with her head bowed and her eyes cast down. Her fingers were playing with the ends of her skirt. She looked like an abashed student who was scolded by her teacher. That thought chased away some of his anger.

Levi let out a tired sigh.

"Take it easy on her, shorty," Hange leaned over to murmur in his ear.

"I'm trying," Levi answered in the same quiet voice.

"Are you finished already?" he asked Petra. He decided to follow Hange's advice and make his tone a bit softer.

"Yes," Petra nodded, still avoiding his gaze. "We planted the wire inside his chair."

"Huh," Levi blinked. It was a pretty creative hiding spot. "Not bad."

"Good job!" Hange congratulated, raising her thumbs. "You did great!"

"Oh, detective Hange, you're here too..." Petra mumbled, finally lifting her eyes.

"Detective Hange?" the man behind Petra gulped. “So you’re actually—”

“The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” Hange snickered.

Levi rolled his eyes at her silliness and then took a step closer to the man, looking at him intently.

"Bozado?" he asked. "And what are you doing here?"

"You know my name, sir?" Oluo's looked up, his eyes bright with hope.

"It's written on your badge," Levi pointed at his breast pocket with a bored expression. "And you didn't answer my question."

"I— I was helping, Petra, sir," Oluo said, scratching the back of his head. "I got the keys to the office and took the wire from the repository."

Levi bored his eyes into the man. Oluo swallowed, squirming under his heavy gaze.

"And why did you decide to help?"

"Levi!" Hange pocked him in the side. "Don't be so insensitive. It's obvious he has feelings for her."

"How is that obvious?" Levi argued, turning to Hange. "And who is being insensitive now, four-eyes? _You_ brought up the subject of his feelings!"

"I was just trying to save the poor man from your fearsome glare," Hange huffed. "And unlike you, I actually know what feelings are."

"Just what are you trying to—"

"Levi?" Petra interrupted softly. "Can we— can we go? It's late already."

Levi looked at Petra, his eyes widening. He almost forgot they were still here.

"Did you take care of everything? Did you make sure that you won't get caught?"

"Yes, sir!" Oluo answered, straightening out and doing a quick salute. Levi scoffed at the gesture. "I'll return the keys to Dita next morning and since I'm in charge of checking the repository, no one will know that something is missing."

"Okay," Levi nodded, his scowl almost disappearing. They really did a good job. He was proud of Petra. And he couldn’t wait to hear what kind of results this scheme would achieve. "Then you can go. We should go too, Hange.”

"You're right, we should hurry," she agreed. "Goodbye, guys!" she waved at Petra and Oluo and then took Levi by the sleeve of his coat, dragging him away.

* * *

"What the hell just happened?" Oluo asked, when Levi and Hange left.

"Detectives Ackerman and Zoe happened," Petra replied, feeling just as confused and bewildered as Oluo.

"The legendary duo, huh?" Oluo scoffed, thrusting hands into the pockets of his pants. "They definitely have some issues they need to work on."

"Yes..." Petra agreed, remembering the expression Levi made when Hange said he had no feelings. Her statement confused him, it was obvious, but Petra could swear she could see a flash of pain in his eyes. There was an apparent tension between two partners. She shouldn't pock her nose into it, though. She learned her lesson already.

"I'm so tired," she yawned, feeling her eyelids grow heavy. It was a stressful day, and, now, as the adrenaline rush was over, she was left utterly exhausted. Petra looped her arm with Oluo's, leaning slightly onto him. "Let me buy you a dinner and then let's call it a day."

"Forget the dinner. Maybe, I should just take you home?"

"No," Petra protested, brushing her nose against Oluo's shoulder. "I want to thank you first. You really helped me out today, Oluo. You're the best."

"I think your exhaustion makes you exaggerate," Oluo snorted. With a soft expression, he lifted a hand to brush a lock of hair from her face. "But I'll take the compliment. Come on, let's leave this place already."

Petra silently nodded in agreement, letting Oluo lead her outside.

* * *

"Tell me again," Levi asked, as he parked the car near their meeting place with Zeke. "Why did you choose this place?"

"It's public, for starters, and I hope that would be enough to quell Zeke's murderous intents. And it's pretty inconspicuous."

Levi narrowed his eyes. He didn't like the carelessness in Hange's voice at all. _Inconspicuous_? What the hell did that mean?

"What the fuck did you tell him, four-eyes?"

Hange shrugged, getting out of the car. "I told him it's a date."

Levi, who was in the middle of closing the car’s door, stopped. He froze, then blinked a few times. He stared at Hange intently trying to see if she was joking.

She wasn't.

"What the fuck?" he whispered, completely shell-shocked. 

"Hey! Don't look so scandalized!" 

As he continued to further contemplate this whole thing, his eye began to twitch. He forcefully shut the door closed.

"Are you _actually_ serious?"

"Um," Hange deflated slightly. "Yes, I am. I just thought it would make him less suspicious. And, well, convince him to come alone."

"So," Levi croaked, finding his throat weirdly inoperative. "Did you and Zeke—"

"Levi." Gone was the easiness of Hange's tone. As she stared Levi down with hands on her hips, her voice was rough. And displeased. She usually used it on him whenever she thought he was being extremely irrational and she was done with him, pestering her about such _illogical_ requests like eating her lunch, sleeping for more than two hours a day and washing her hair at least once in a week. "Are you seriously asking if me and Zeke - the jerk who had ruined my entire life - had hooked up?"

Well, now that Hange had put it like this, he did feel kinda stupid. And more than a little embarrassed.

Fuck. He really was an insensitive jerk.

"Sorry for bringing this up," he grumbled, pushing past Hange and continuing to walk down the street.

"Oi, Levi, wait!" grabbing his sleeve, she quickly caught up with him. She fell into step with him, and for a moment, she was silent.

Their conversation was far from being over and Levi knew it. He didn't have to raise his head to see the pleased smirk on her face. Smugness was practically radiating from her.

"So did I just witness the jealousy of great Levi Ackerman?"

His cheeks burned. Levi kept looking straight ahead. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of seeing his discomfiture.

"No."

Hange chuckled. "Just so you know, Zeke isn't my type."

"Cool. I don't care."

"Do you want to know what my type is?"

"No." _Yes_. "Can we have this conversation some other time?"

"Sure." A pause. "So you _are_ interested what my type is."

Levi groaned.

"Oh, we're here!" Hange said flippantly, like she wasn't mercifully making fun of him just moments ago. "Are you ready, shorty?"

"Yes," he answered, putting their previous conversation to the back of his mind. He fixed his hair and clenched his jaw. "Let's do this, four-eyes."

"Alright," Hange stopped to take a deep breath. She looked more than a little uneasy and, acting on a sheer impulse, Levi took her hand in his, giving it a firm squeeze.

"I'm with you," he reassured. "I've got your back, Hange."

She smiled, relaxing ever so slightly. "Thank you. There's no one else I could have done it with. Well," Hange tapped her chin with a finger. "I could do it with Erwin too, but—" her smile turned into a playful grin. "His face isn't quite as scary as yours."

Levi rolled his eyes, glad that Hange was back to her _insufferable_ self.

He pushed the door open, still holding Hange's hand in his.

The café, when they entered it, was mostly empty. There were only two people inside - a girl and a boy probably in their early twenties. They were lounging side by side in the corner of the café, but when Levi and Hange appeared, one of them – a blonde boy with big blue eyes - jumped to his feet and hurried to approach them. The girl with the hair as dark as her expression followed, hovering over boy's shoulder.

"Welcome to Dorothy's corner!" the boy squealed with a nervous smile. "What would you like to order?"

"You didn't give them the menu, Armin," the girl reminded softly, nudging him in the back.

"Oh, right! I'll bring it immediately, just—"

"Relax," Hange advised softly. Her words, coupled with that sweet smile worked like a charm. The boy chuckled sheepishly, scratching his neck with an apologetic expression.

"Sorry, I'm kinda new here."

"New?" Levi repeated. "And for how long have you been working here?"

"Almost a month, sir. Why are you asking?"

"Simple curiosity," he murmured. So it _was_ just a coincidence. The boy wasn't a replacement for the dead waitress.

"And you?" he nodded at the gloomy girl. "Are you working here too?"

"No," the boy smiled, affection lightening his features. "Mikasa just worries too much about me. There was a murder recently and, well, she’s here to look over me."

"Oh, she's a good friend,” Hange praised. “We're actually here to meet our friends too. There they are, by the way!" she pointed her finger at the booth near the window.

Levi followed it, and, now he could see Zeke's blonde head sticking out too. And from looks of it, he wasn’t alone. The rage started boiling inside of him just at the sight of that bastard. Hange squeezed his hand again, offering his silent support.

"Can you bring a cup of green tea for me?" Levi asked, turning to the boy.

"S-sure!"

"And a black coffee with three sugars for that weirdo," he added.

"Still remember my order?" Hange wondered, as they walked towards the booth where Zeke was sitting.

"Focus, four-eyes," he scolded sternly, before coming to a stop in front of the needed table.

With a toothy grin, Hange slide in the booth, taking a seat opposite from Zeke. Levi sat down at her side.

When he saw them, Zeke's eyes widened and his mouth hanged open in silent surprise. That expression was gone way too quickly, however, not giving Levi enough time to savor it.

Zeke clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowed and his face sharpened as he glared at Hange.

"You have the gull, Zoe," he sneered. "You fuck—"

"Oi." Levi interrupted. His voice was quiet, but filled with so much fury and hatred. Zeke visibly shuddered. "If I hear another shitty word about Hange from your dirty mouth, you'll be missing some teeth, you asshole."

"Um." Someone above Levi cleared his throat. He looked up, meeting the scared gaze of the waiter. "Y-your order," he said, his eyes darting nervously between Levi and Zeke.

"Thank you," Hange smiled.

"We'll call if we need refreshments." Levi grunted with a nod.

"Charming as always, detective Ackerman," Zeke scoffed, when the boy left. He pushed the glasses up his nose, and Levi noted with no small amount of amusement that his fingers were slightly trembling.

Zeke turned to Hange. "I thought you wanted to meet me alone."

"I told _you_ to come alone," Hange corrected. "You didn't though."

"I thought you'd like to have a double date," Zeke smirked. The arrogant expression disappeared the second he met Levi’s dark eyes.

"Oh, right!" Hange slapped her forehead. "Where are my manners! Levi, this is Porco and Pieck," she gestured to a man and woman, who sat at the either side of Zeke. The man - Porco - gave Levi a small nod. Pieck waved at him with a grin, tilting her head and staring at him curiously.

"And this is Levi," Hange said. "My partner."

" _Partner_?" Pieck raised an eyebrow. The grin on her face grew broader.

"I meant, colleague," Hange clarified, clearing her throat.

"I'm curious," Zeke said, not taking his eyes off Hange. "What are you trying to achieve with this stunt? It’s true I can’t do anything to you right now, but what do you think is going to happen afterwards, Hange? Do you think I'd let you go? Do you think _your boyfriend,_ ” he looked pointedly at Levi. Levi stared right back, his face blank. “Can protect you? You were too valuable to me, you know too much,” Zeke shook his head, his voice disappointed. “I thought you were smarter than this."

"What makes you think I need protection?" Hange leaned over with a smile that looked just a little bit feral. "Maybe, I've already told everything to the police."

Zeke returned her smile, lifting his hands. "Then where are my handcuffs, _detective_?"

"If you wanted to imprison me, I'd already be behind bars," he continued, remarkably relaxed. "No, you want something from me, Hange. But for the life of me, I can't understand what exactly."

"Like you said, Zeke," Hange's eye glinted wickedly. "I know too much."

"Wh—"

"Levi has brought you something. I'm sure it'd be quite a thrilling read."

Following the cue, Levi took the file out of his pocket and threw it on the table.

Reluctantly, his eyes shifting from Hange to Levi, Zeke opened it. A confused crease appeared between his eyebrows, as he looked at the first page. Nevertheless, he fixed his glasses and started reading. His two companions joined him, leaning over his shoulder.

It was quiet for a long moment, and Levi used this time to drink his tea. It was good, he was quite impressed.

"Is tea here still up to your standards?" Hange asked in a whisper.

"Mm," he nodded. "Definitely not as shitty as the tea you used to make, four-eyes."

"As shitty as it was, you still drank it."

Yeah, he did. Actually, Levi kinda missed that awful, bitter taste. Maybe, once it was all over, he could ask Hange to brew him tea again. Just like in the old times.

"It's the case you told me about," Pieck concluded, when she finished reading the file.

"Yes," Hange nodded.

Levi tilted his head, looking at that Pieck curiously. Hange trusted her. _Why?_

"I hope you don't think that I did it," Zeke scoffed. "I was out of country. I couldn't kill these women."

"I know," Hange agreed.

"Believe me, if I had even the slightest doubt that you did it, we wouldn't be sitting there, chatting," Levi added menacingly.

"What do you want then?" Porco spoke up, glancing between Hange and Levi.

"Cooperation." Hange answered. "Whoever committed these murders is close to you, Zeke."

"Or tries to get rid of you." Levi said.

"And why do you care?" Zeke asked. "Why would you decide to help? After everything I've done to you, don't you want to take your revenge?"

"You can't even imagine how much I want this," Hange told him fiercely. She moved her face closer to Zeke, putting her elbows on the table. A wide, crazy grin spread on her lips, and Zeke recoiled as though in fear.

Levi relaxed in his seat, watching their interaction closely. Seeing the panic reflect in Zeke's eyes put a satisfied smirk on his face.

“And I promise you, Zeke," Hange continued. "I will get my revenge and I will make you pay for everything you put me through. But," she chuckled, easing her expression into her usual friendly mien. "As it is now, a criminal, who killed two women, is on the loose. And I consider it my duty to catch them. My retribution can wait for a while."

"Do you have any suspects?" Pieck asked, making Hange look at her and giving Zeke a much needed moment of respite. Levi continued to watch him, though, enjoying the slight fear that painted his features. The sight was all the more pleasurable for Levi, because Hange was the one who made the bastard feel this way.

"Zeke is not the only one who's being targeted. Someone tries to harm Levi too." Hange replied. "I'm pretty sure that Sannes is on it."

"Sannes?" Porco frowned. "Isn't he one of yours?"

"We all know that he's one of _yours_ ," Levi's face twisted in grimace.

"Why would Sannes go against me?” Zeke wondered. “We've been working together for years."

"Maybe, someone tries to take your place," Pieck speculated. "If that's the case, Sannes could agree to betray you. He's not loyal to you, but to your influence after all."

"Sannes can't be the only one, though," Hange went on. "His main goal is to get rid of Levi, and he could have come up with something less complicated to achieve it. So," Hange kicked Zeke's leg under the table. "Spill it out, Zeke. Who hates you so much?"

Zeke scowled, irritated by her cheerfulness. He opened his mouth, and Levi was sure that nothing nice or useful was going to come out of it. He kicked him under the table too. His kick was much stronger than Hange’s. Zeke yelped, bending down to rub his leg. Levi almost smiled.

"I think Floch is the betrayer."

"What?" Zeke snorted. "Floch is the one who had come up with that plan? Don't make me laugh, Hange."

"I didn't say that he was the one who had come up with it," Hange argued. "I said that it’s possible that he had betrayed you."

"So you think Sannes and Floch are the one to blame?" Porco clarified.

"No," Hange shook her head. She tapped her fingers on the table, biting her lip. "I think... There is a third party involved. Floch would never act on his own volition. But he's easily influenced and if he encountered someone charismatic enough, he wouldn’t think twice about betraying you. But why would they need such an elaborate plan?" Hange wondered. "If they wanted to take control of your gang—"

"Criminal organ—"

"Shut up!" she barked, glaring at Zeke. "You're making it hard to think. Where was I?"

"If someone wanted to take Zeke's power, why not simply kill him?" Pieck said.

"Exactly!" Hange snapped her fingers with a grateful smile. "Whoever is against you, Zeke, doesn't want to simply kill you. They're trying to put in prison. We don't know who that is and I'm pretty sure _you_ don't know it either. I don't think it's someone from your gang, Floch doesn't respect anyone but you. So that leaves with one possible explanation - it's someone from outside. Maybe, a partner you've fucked over."

"Does anyone come to your mind, boss?" Porco asked.

"There is someone," Zeke mumbled, his eyes cast down. "But he already took his revenge on me." 

"Hm," Hange scratched her chin. "That complicates it."

"If someone wants to get rid of Zeke," Pieck spoke up. "Then how is your partner involved in this?"

"Through Sannes." Levi replied. "Sannes wanted to get rid of me. He couldn't find a reason to fire me, so he decided to exploit my only weakness."

"Your weakness?" Hange repeated, confused.

Levi sighed. "You, Hange. Everyone at the precinct knows that I..." he cleared his throat, shifting his eyes to the side. "That your death hit me hard. And Sannes decided to use that. He wanted me to stop thinking rationally, wanted to me to lose my cool. He almost succeeded." He added softly. 

Under the table, Hange took his hand and gave it a squeeze. Levi looked up, meeting her gaze. It was full of sympathy, regret and _something_ else. Something unreadable, something fierce. Something that made it hard to look away. 

"Could you please stop this?" Zeke groaned. "I believe we were in a middle of a serious discussion."

Hange was the first to look away. She continued to hold his hand, however. Feeling bold, Levi intertwined their fingers. 

"You were saying?" Zeke prompted with a roll of his eyes.

"Um, yes, right," Hange nodded. "There a lot we don't know about our enemies, but I theorize that something like that happened: someone - a past ally, or, maybe one of your victims - approached Floch. They convinced him to betray you and probably shared with Floch their desire to take you out of the picture without murdering you. We don't know their motivations and why they couldn't just kill you, since whoever they are," Hange's face twisted in disgust. "They are more than okay with murdering innocents. Floch then goes to Sannes, and Sannes decides to join on the plan. They devise some sort of a gamble – either Zeke goes to prison or Levi gets fired."

"Sounds far-fetched," Zeke scoffed. 

"Maybe," Hange shrugged. "There is a lot we still don't know. Would you help us, though?"

Zeke sighed, covering his eyes with a hand. "I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"Nope!" Hange clasped her hands with a wide grin. 

"Don't forget that this alliance is temporary," Levi added.

"I would rather die than continue it for a second longer than absolutely necessary." Zeke snarled. 

"Good," Levi retorted. "Then _die_."

"What Levi wanted to say," Hange corrected with a chuckle. "Is that we're hoping for a fruitful cooperation. But for now, we should go our separate ways. I'll contact you if we discover something."

"We'll do the same," Pieck smiled, ushering Porco and Zeke to get up from their seats. "Enjoy your evening," she added before the three of them left.

The moment the door of the café closed behind them, Hange exhaled in relief. Levi sighed too, slumping in his seat.

"Pieck is nice, isn't she?" Hange asked softly. 

"Are you two... friends?"

"Sort of," she replied. "Is that a problem?"

"No," Levi assured. "It's just, well, a bit weird."

"She helped me," Hange confessed. "When Zeke—" she made a vague gesture with her hands, pointing to her lost eye. "You know."

"We'll make him pay," he promised. 

"I know," Hange leaned against his shoulder, yawning. "Can I stay at your place tonight?"

"Of course," he murmured. "Grim would love to see you. I don't have anything to eat at home, though. Want to order something here?"

Hange looked up at him, blinking sleepily. "You'll make me have dinner no matter what I say, right?"

He lightly flicked her nose. "What's the point of asking if you already know the answer?"

"You don't change," she whispered fondly. "It's good to be back, Levi."

_It's good to have you back_ , he thought, admiring her peaceful expression.

* * *

One foot in front of the other, Petra slowly made her way up stairs to her apartment. She was _exhausted_ , tired to the bone and the only thing she craved was to get into her cozy and warm apartment and then fall face-first into her soft and comfy bed. 

But as her luck would have it, the elevators were broken and now she had to climb all the fifteen flight of stairs that lead to her apartment.

Heaving a sigh, she looked up. She was already on thirteenth floor. 

_Just two more_ , she thought grimly. Petra grabbed the railing tightly and pushed herself upwards. 

Finally, when she was almost at the brim of exhaustion, Petra climbed up to the needed floor. She breathed out in relief and her lips curved into a small, satisfied smile. 

She was almost home, the only thing she needed to do was to walk up to her front door, unlock it, took off her coat and shoes and change into pajamas. Then, she could get some rest at last. After that insane day, she more than deserved it. 

As she neared the door to her apartment, Petra caught a weird scent, hanging in the air. She stopped for a second, sniffing. It was a strong, bitter and unpleasant. The scent of a cigarette smoke, Petra realized. She had never smelled it there before. As far as she knew, her neighbors didn't smoke. Then where the scent had come from?

A bit wary and alert, she continued her way. She was tired, maybe, she just imagined the smell. Or, maybe, one of her neighbors started smoking. It wasn't a big deal. Definitely wasn't illegal. 

With a reprimanding shake of her head, Petra willed herself to relax. She took out her keys and approached the door. She touched the door handle.

And the panic nearly overwhelmed her. 

Her front door. It wasn’t locked.

Staring at it in confusion, Petra searched her mind, trying to remember if she had forgotten to close the door when leaving in the morning. She always locked it. Could it be that she had forgotten about it today?

She was a creature of habit, she always made sure to turn off the lights and lock the front door before leaving the apartment. On the other hand, however, a lot happened this week. She wasn't sleeping enough. She wasn't getting enough rest. She was constantly in the state of worry and anxiety. Locking her front door was at the very bottom of her list of priorities. She could very easily forget about it. 

_Right?_

She was probably just getting too paranoid. It was probably caused by exhaustion and emotional distress. She was worrying over nothing. 

Petra took a deep breath _. She was worrying over nothing_. She kept repeating this phrase like a mantra in her head. She slowly pushed the door open.

The apartment behind it was silent. And dark. 

Petra exhaled in relief.

She chuckled softly, scolding herself for being a scaredy-cat. She closed the door - making sure she locked it this time - and took off her coat and shoes. She draped the coat on the clothes rack and then entered her bedroom. She touched the switch, turning on the light. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the sudden brightness. She swept her eyes across the room—

And then gasped, the fear gripping every part of her body. 

There was a man sitting in her armchair near the window. The same man that she saw in the precinct today - the one with eerie smile. 

That same unnerving smile was spread on his lips once again. 

"Detective Ral," he murmured softly, rising to his feet. "Did you and your partner receive my note?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's the 9th chapter already? wow i've never thought this story would become that long. thanks for everyone who still reads it <3


	10. Chapter 10

“We’ve been apart for so long!” Hange kissed the crown of black hair, nuzzling her nose into it. “I’ve missed you so much, my dear! I love you more than anyone else in this world, yes, yes, I do.”

“Are you finished already?” Levi asked, scowling darkly. “Or are you going to continue making out with my dog?”

“I’m just saying hello to my favorite boy!” Hange giggled, and Grim licked her face happily. “Well, my _second_ favorite boy,” she corrected, shooting Levi a mischievous grin.

“Get the fuck off the floor, four-eyes,” he lightly kicked her thigh. “Before your butt freezes.”

“Fine, fine, Grim, get off me, boy,” the dog complied instantly, and Hange outstretched her hand, signaling Levi that she needed help with getting up. Levi rolled his eyes, but obeyed too. Hange stood up, dusting her pants. “A certain _someone_ likes my butt so much, he doesn’t want it to freeze.”

“Take your shoes off,” Levi grunted, way above responding to Hange’s taunts. Whatever he thought about her butt wasn’t any of her business anyway.

“Ah, this place hasn’t changed a bit!” Hange exclaimed, as she walked further into Levi’s apartment.

“What did you expect?” Levi followed after her. “Some big renovations?”

“Maybe?” Hange shrugged. “I was actually worried some cutie lives here now.”

Levi stared at the back of her head, lost and confused. She was _worried_?About some _cutie?_

What the fuck?

“You know,” Hange continued. “Some adorable little thing who managed to steal the heart of Levi Ackerman himself.”

“Nothing of the sort happened, as you can see,” he said, his face blank despite his obvious discomfiture. 

Adorable little thing stealing his heart? What a bunch of nonsense, Levi thought. Even if there was _someone,_ capable of stealing his heart, it would be a loud, messy idiot who stood a good few inches above him.

“You don’t need a tour around the house, I hope?” he asked.

“Of course not, I remember it better than my own.”

“Good, then settle down, I’ll go on a walk with Grim.”

“Aw, you’re taking him away from me already?” Hange pouted, crouching in front of the dog. Grim licked her pout away, making Hange giggle. And eliciting an annoyed tsk from his owner.

“Let’s go,” he fastened a leash to Grim’s collar. He then looked back at Hange. “Try not to ruin my house while I’m gone, alright?”

“Sure!” she showed him thumb-ups.

Levi shook his head with an exasperated sigh. “I won’t be gone for too long. Oh, and Hange,” he glanced at her briefly, before turning away. “Welcome home.”

* * *

“Um, Levi?” Hange called seconds after he returned from his walk with Grim. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure,” he gave Grim a treat and motioned for him to stay put, walking towards the bedroom, from where Hange’s voice was coming from.

Levi walked in and saw that Hange was standing in front of his wardrobe.

Oh. She wanted to ask him about _that._

Understandable.

“I know how that it looks kinda creepy…” he rubbed his forehead, feeling more than a little bit embarrassed.

“That’s my old clothes, right?”

Well, there was no pointing in denying that.

“Yes,” Levi said, giving Hange a courtesy of looking her straight in the eyes. “I was the one, who cleaned your apartment after, well, you know…”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, throwing them away seemed like a waste, so…”

“Thanks!” Hange beamed.

Levi frowned. “You’re not… mad or something?”

“Of course, not, silly! I’m actually quite happy. I’ve missed this pullover so much!” Hange took the piece of clothing out, throwing it at Levi’s bed. “And this sweater!” it followed the path of a pullover. “And this shirt! And—”

“Okay, stop.” Levi grabbed her hand, preventing Hange from making a total mess on his bed. “I’ve got it, you don’t mind me being a weirdo, my bed has nothing to do with it.”

“Oh right,” Hange chuckled, shrugging helplessly. “Sorry about that. I can—”

“I’ll clean this out,” Levi cut her off. “You go ahead and take a shower.”

That put a pout on Hange’s face. “But I’ve already had one this morning…”

That was an improvement, Levi was actually impressed. Still, it wasn’t enough.

“I’m not letting you sleep in my bed until I make sure that you’re fresh and clean, four-eyes.”

“What!” Hange squealed. “You want me to sleep in _your_ bed?”

“Do you wish to spend the night at my shitty old sofa? With Grim drooling all over you?” Levi bluntly countered. “I thought to take that place myself, but if you’re so eager...”

“But I can’t just kick you out of your own bed. Let me take the sofa.”

“You’re a guest, four-eyes. Take the fucking bed.” He gritted, annoyed by her stubbornness.

“Fine!” Hange threw her hands in the air. “If you’re so dead set on this, I’ll take the bed.” Levi’s lips almost curled into a victorious smirk. “But you’re sharing it with me.”

And the celebratory expression disappeared without a trace.

“… _What_? What do you mean?”

“I mean, let’s share the bed. You take one side, I take the other, no one sleeps on the sofa, we both sleep on a bed. Together.”

_We both sleep on a bed. Together._

These words made blood rush to his face. He just recently discovered that he _might_ _be_ harboring some kind of feelings for Hange. He didn’t know yet just what kind of feelings. He didn’t know when all of that had started and what make of it. So sharing a bed… seemed like they were rushing things a bit.

“Isn’t that weird?” he asked, trying to find a way out of this situation. Preferably without revealing to Hange just what exactly was weirding him out so much.

“I don’t think so, no.” Hange shrugged. “I mean, we’ve shared the bed before.”

“It was one time,” Levi said, understanding exactly what she meant. “And we didn’t share a bed. You fell on top of me while we were napping on a sofa in the office.”

“That wasn’t the only time we’ve shared the bed, though,” Hange remarked. “Remember Erwin’s birthday party?”

“We were drunk,” Levi crossed hands on his chest. “And _technically_ we weren’t sharing.”

“How so?”

“You were sleeping between Erwin and me. It’s not sharing.”

“It is!” Hange huffed. “I was sharing a bed with you _and_ Erwin. Your hands were on my waist! That counts as sharing.”

Oh. His hands were on her waist? Levi’s mind thankfully obscured that detail.

“And if it makes you feel less awkward, it wouldn’t be just us in this bed tonight too.”

“Huh?”

“Grim,” Hange smiled. “I’m sure he’ll join us too.”

Levi scowled. “He is not allowed on a bed.”

“Sure,” her smile turned into a smirk. “Keep lying, Ackerman.” 

“Fine,” he shook his head. “I’ll go wash Grim and prepare a bath for you. And then you’ll shut up, take a bath and we’ll go to sleep. It’s late and I had a hell of a day because of you.”

“I’ll go make tea for us in the meanwhile,” she moved past Levi, heading to the kitchen. She stopped when she was right next to him and left a kiss on his cheek. Levi’s heart did a flip. “Thanks for everything,” she whispered, before disappearing into a kitchen.

Levi stood there, with a hand pressed to his cheek, gently touching the place Hange kissed for an _embarrassingly_ longmoment. He would have continued to remain frozen on that spot, if it weren’t for Grim, who started to whine loudly, getting impatient of waiting for Levi to snap out of it and take care of him.

“Shit,” he cursed, running a hand through his hair. Just what Hange was doing to him? “I’m coming!” he yelled, hurrying to his pet.

* * *

Levi put his hands around Hange, pulling her closer. He inhaled her faint scent and smiled, tracing the contour of her shoulder with his nose.

Hange turned in their embrace, facing Levi. She looked him in the eyes, the corners of her lips lifting in a soft, loving smile.

“It’s so good to be reunited, isn’t it? After long two years of being apart?”

“Yes,” Levi breathed out, unable to do anything but stare at her, devotion shining in his eyes.

“Do you think this is going to last?” her voice was honeyed, sweet. _Too sweet_ , Levi realized as Hange’s smile changed. It wasn’t soft. Or loving. It was cold and cruel. “Do you think you can make me stay?”

Hange shook her head, disappointment replacing the once tender expression. Before Levi could say _anything_ , ask her a question or give her some kind of an answer, she disappeared, slipping between his fingers. Like she wasn’t even there. Levi stared at the now empty space beside him with widened, shocked eyes.

“No,” he whispered weakly,grasping the sheet, where Hange just laid _._ “No, don’t go, don’t leave me alone, _not again._ ”

He was cold, and the room around him was dark. It pressed on him, making him feel like a small frightened boy. The panic gripped and ceased him, suffocating him in its tight, loveless embrace.

And then— as though out of nowhere, there were warm hands on his face and gentle, insisting voice in his ear, calling out his name, repeating it again and again.

Unable to resist, he followed it.

He opened his eyes and he was still in his room, but— it was different from before. It wasn’t engulfed in darkness anymore, the lamp on his bedside table illuminating everything, and he wasn’t alone, Hange— _Hange_ was hovering above him.

She was looking at him with a mixture of worry and confusion, her hair was out of the usual ponytail and seemed to be even more of a mess, the glasses were gone too and Hange was squinting, which made her look like a disheveled, one-eyed owl.

She looked ridiculous, Levi thought. He wanted to stare at her for hours.

“Levi?” she asked in a quiet whisper.

“Sorry for waking you up,” he said, embarrassment making his voice even gruffer than usual. “Go back to sleep.”

He turned away from her, switching off the lamp. A couple of minutes passed and the room was still silent. Levi closed his eyes, hoping that Hange was merciful enough to spare him and forget about the whole incident.

Of course, that was foolish of him. Hange forgetting about something? Nothing more than a wishful thinking on his part.

“Hey,” Hange called. “Do you want to talk about that?”

“No.”

“I do.” She said matter-of-factly. “You had a nightmare.”

Levi snorted. “Great deduction, detective Zoe.”

“That nightmare was about me.” It wasn’t a question, but Hange still paused for a second, giving Levi a chance to confirm or deny it. He remained silent. Hange took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. You’re… suffering because of me—”

“Shut up,” he cut her off harshly, preventing her from spitting out even more nonsense. “You came back, Hange. You’re here now. That’s more than I could ask for.”

“Come here.”

Suddenly, there was a hand on his arm, turning him around.

“I want cuddles.” Hange explained with a silly grin.

“I don’t.” Levi glowered.

“Yes, you do,” she threw her arm over him, laying a head on his chest. “He does want to cuddle, right, Grim?”

Grim, who was lying at the foot of the bed answered by putting his head on Levi’s leg.

“Good grief,” Levi muttered, wrapping his hand around Hange’s shoulder. She nuzzled into his chest with a contended sigh.

Levi was glad that the room was dark this time. It made it easier for him to hide a smile.

* * *

“So!” Hange rubbed her hands in anticipation, looking around the police precinct with an excited smile. “What’s our plan of action?”

“I’m catching up on all of my paperwork.” Levi said. “You sit tight and watch me work.”

“Boring,” Hange answered flippantly. “Didn’t we use to visit forensics first thing in the morning? You know, to get updates about the clues and stuff?”

“There are no clues, remember?”

“Right,” she scratched her chin. “But, maybe, they found something?”

“They would have informed me already.”

“Maybe, they forgot?”

Levi sighed. “You just want to visit the forensic department, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” Hange agreed with a shrug. “Shall we?”

“You go,” he gave her a slight push. “There is something I need to do first.”

“Eh?” a confused crease formed between Hange’s eyebrows. “And where are you going?”

“I’ll join you soon.” Hange continued to stare at him. She put hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes, silently demanding a more _detailed_ answer. Levi sighed again. “I’m going to get my tea. And then I’ll come back, alright?”

“Oh,” Hange snickered, giving him an amused look. “Alright, go get your _tea_ , shorty, I’ll be waiting for you.”

“Detective Ackerman! Detective Zoe!” before Hange and Levi could go their separate ways, a man approached them. To Levi, he looked _distinctly_ familiar.

“Oluo!” Hange greeted with a smile, bringing Levi up to a speed.

 _Right_ , Oluo Bozard, a police technician and Petra’s old colleague. A man who was foolish enough to follow through with her reckless schemes.

“How is Petra?” Hange asked, while Levi was too busy glaring holes at the man. “Did you two get back home safely last night?”

“That’s what I wanted to ask you actually,” Oluo rubbed his neck. “Petra, haven’t you two seen her? She doesn’t pick up the phone and she isn’t at your office.”

“Since _this weirdo_ is with me today,” Levi pointed to Hange, earning a playful punch to the arm from her. “I texted Petra this morning, told that she can have a day off. She’s probably still sleeping.”

“Poor thing,” Hange shook her head. “She must be so exhausted.”

“Oh,” Oluo nodded. “I was starting to get worried, but Petra is just lazing around? A weight of my shoulders,” he wiped the imaginary sweat from his forehead and smiled. “Thank you, detectives. Have a good day!”

“You too!” Hange waved at him, then turned to Levi. “Don’t take too long, shorty, I’ll be downstairs.”

“Just… be careful, four-eyes.”

“Huh?”

Levi gave her a knowing look, as corners of his lips curled into a small smirk. “They don’t know about your miraculous resurrection. Don’t give our scientists a heart attack, alright?”

Hange snorted, clasping his shoulder in delight. “I’ll try my best,” she promised, before hurrying to the stairwell that led to the forensics department.

“What an idiot…” Levi whispered, watching her go with a fond look in his eyes.

* * *

Moving on her tiptoes, Hange carefully made her way down the stairs. She slowly and quietly approached the entrance to forensic department, and then carefully touched the handle, remembering that it used to have an extremely annoying habit of rattling very loudly every time someone moved it.

Two years later, and that particular problem still hadn’t been solved. She softly gripped the handle and turned it, trying to be as stealthy as possible.

She took all the precautions not because she wanted to give the scientists a heart attack, as Levi had so bluntly put it. She just… wished to see a look of shock and surprise on their faces. It would behilarious, Hange thought, already anticipating Moblit’s wide-eyed and pale-faced look, Nifa’s squeal, Keiji’s shout and Abel’s cursing.

It would be _hysterical._ Levi would regret not coming with her.

With that in mind, Hange threw the door to forensics department open. “Hey, guys!” she yelled, waiting for the gasps of surprise to reach her ears.

They never did.

Nifa, Moblit, Keiji and Abel all ran out to see her. There were wide smiles on their faces and happiness shining in their eyes.

No shock, though. No surprise. Hange couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

Did the miraculous returns of the people who were presumed dead for two years become such a common thing nowadays? Not worthy even a single _‘what the fuck’_?

“We missed you so much!” Nifa wrapped her arms around Hange’s neck, bringing her down to a hug. Hange embraced her back, forgetting about her chagrin for a moment.

“What are you standing there for?” Nifa scolded, turning around. “It’s supposed to be a group hug, you idiots!”

Laughing in embarrassment, Moblit was the first to join Nifa. Keiji and Abel, complaining about Nifa’s bossiness in hushed murmurs, were quick to follow her order as well.

“Ah, guys, I missed you too,” Hange sighed, happy as ever. Having four people curled around her body wasn’t exactly comfortable, but Hange felt warm, she felt loved and appreciated.

She felt at home.

* * *

“So who ratted me out?” Hange asked, after Keiji had put a cup of coffee and a plate of Nifa’s delicious cheesecake in front of her. “Who told you that I’m not actually dead? Was that Levi, that blabbering gossiping midget?”

“Um, no?” Abel answered with a confused frown. He had some troubles imagining Levi as blabbering. Or gossiping. Or anything else, except a menacingly looking, constantly scowling man.

“Then was it Erwin?” throwing a piece of cheesecake in her mouth, Hange leaned closer, watching all of them carefully. “Did that handsome bastard finally grow tired of keeping my secret and decided to spill it out for everyone?”

“It wasn’t him either,” Nifa smiled. “It was Petra who told us.”

“Petra?”

“Yeah, you know,” Moblit chimed in. “Detective Ackerman’s new partner.”

“Of course, I know Petra,” a wide smile appeared on Hange’s lips. “She’s such a sweet girl. I take it, you already bonded with her?”

“She’s nice,” Keiji shrugged, sipping on his coffee.

“And very kind,” Moblit agreed.

“And so fricking pretty!” Nifa added. “If that idiot Oluo ever grows tired of her…”

“Sorry, Nifa,” Hange chuckled, patting the girl’s hand sympathetically. “But I saw them the other day. If anyone is going to grow tired, it’s definitely not Oluo.”

“What a shame,” Nifa stared into her cup of coffee, shaking her head.

“By the way, Hange,” Abel said, diverting attention from heartbroken Nifa. “I’ve gotta say, the eyepatch looks good on you.”

“Yes!” Nifa perked up. “You look _so_ badass.”

“Ah, you think so?” Hange touched the eyepatch with her fingers, a look of self-doubt painting her features.

“You look cool as hell,” Keiji assured her with a warm smile.

Hange’s cheek reddened slightly, as she gave a small nod, silently thanking everyone for the compliment.

“Where is detective Ackerman?” Moblit asked suddenly. “Is he not going to join us?”

“He doesn’t trust your taste in tea, so he went to get his own,” Hange explained with a fond look. “He’ll be there in a moment.”

“What an insufferable little man!” Nifa muttered with a dark expression. “We still keep his favorite brand of tea,” she huffed irritably. “If only he visited us more often, he’d know that.”

“Why are you here today?” Abel questioned Hange. “Does that mean—”

“That it’s a ‘bring your best friend to work’ day?” Hange forced out a laugh, pushing her glasses up.

“So you won’t… return?” Moblit looked into her eyes. His sad, disappointed look broke Hange’s heart.

She took a breath, turning her gaze away. “I don’t know if I’ll return,” she said earnestly. “But… I really want to.”

“So!” she clasped her hands together, destroying the tense silence that fell over the room after her words. “Do you have a nice, horribly mutilated corpse to show me?”

“Oh,” Nifa smirked, her eyes glinting wickedly. “We have just what you need.”

* * *

Levi leaned against the doorway, unnoticed by everyone. With Hange at the center of the table, it didn’t surprise him. He watched her exchange jokes with the others, smile and laugh, and he thought – _finally_ , everything is as it should be.

He realized he had missed not just Hange, he had missed _this,_ a life he used to have, a routine he was accustomed to, a routine that disappeared ever since Hange was gone.

He missed coming down there with Hange, missed listening to her nerdy conversations with their colleagues and looking at the disgusting, revolting corpses with her, missed dragging her out of the forensics department and into their office, forcing her to get to actual work.

He wondered if this life was ever going to return. He desperately hoped so.

“Hey, detective Ackerman!” Abel’s friendly voice distracted Levi from his gloomy thoughts. “Come join us, the tea is getting cold!”

“We still have your favorite brand, by the way,” Nifa scolded him, wearing a disgruntled expression. “You would have known this, if you actually visited us more often than once in a lifetime.”

“Sorry,” Levi mumbled. Nifa’s strict voice and vicious glare actually made him feel bad. “Thanks for the tea.”

“I saved you a place!” Hange said, standing up.

“And where are you going?” Levi narrowed his eyes, suspicion swirling in his gaze.

“Nifa and I have some business in the dissection room,” Hange leaned in, lowering her voice to a whisper. “She promised me a cool corpse!”

“Ugh,” Levi pushed her away. “You don’t change,” he told her. His voice sounded much fonder than he intended it to.

“Yeah, love you too,” Hange ruffled his hair and left, hurrying after Nifa. 

His heart skipped a beat at that. Levi stared in the distance for a long moment, failing to calm his racing heart.

“Detective?” Moblit carefully touched his elbow. “Are you—”

“I’m _fine,_ ” he gritted through teeth, snapping out of his stupor. “Don’t you dare to say a word,” Levi threatened, scowling at Moblit, Keiji and Abel.

He picked up his cup, hiding a blush behind it. Damn Hange and her annoying ability to always embarrass him. That part of her he _most certainly_ didn’t miss.

* * *

“If watching me work gets you so damn interested,” Levi muttered without looking up from a mountain of paperwork on his desk. “Then lend a fucking hand, four-eyes.”

“Don’t distract me,” she chided, throwing a paper plane right in the middle of his desk. “I’m thinking.”

“Thinking?” Levi crumpled the plane in his hands, changing its trajectory into a trashcan. “I wasn’t aware you could do that. New skill of yours?”

“Asshole,” another paper plane hit him in the side of his head. Levi cursed, crumpling this one with much more force. “If you’re such a douche, I won’t tell you what I was thinking about.”

Oh. That got Levi curious.

“I’m listening,” he said. He sat back in his chair, directing his gaze on Hange. The paperwork lay forgotten on his desk. Levi ignored it. He also ignored Erwin’s voice in his head that reminded him that he was supposed to finish all of it today. He was working for over an hour now. He deserved a small break. 

“Well,” Hange huffed, raising her nose up in distain. “Now I don’t want to tell you.”

“ _Hange,_ ” Levi took a paper from his desk, crumpled and threw it at her, making her look at him. “I’m _listening_ ,” he said, looking her in the eye.

Hange’s demeanor changed instantly. She lowered her gaze and shook her head. “You would think I’m stupid…” she quietly mumbled.

“I already _know_ that you’re stupid, four-eyes, so, c’mon, spill it out already.”

“After all this is over…” Hange began, drawing invisible patterns on the surface of her desk. “You know the murders and that shit with Zeke… do you think I can come back?”

“Hange,” Levi looked at her seriously. “Tell me one thing, please – are you an idiot?”

Hange glanced up, blinking in surprise. “…What?”

“You saw how much everyone misses you today, and you still have any doubts about coming back?”

“I doubt it’d be so easy…” Hange fumbled with her thumbs. “I’m presumed dead, after all.”

Levi rolled his eyes, exasperated. “I’m pretty sure Erwin can clear that out in no time.”

“But after those two years, would I be able to… fit it?”

“You’re definitely an idiot,” Levi declared, biting his tongue from saying something much worse. “Tell me one goddamn reason why you wouldn’t fit in.”

Hange shrugged, studying her nails so intently like it was the most interesting thing in the world. “You have a new partner now.”

“That’s… what got you so worried?” Levi spoke, his voice full of surprise.

“Well… I just don’t want another partner, I guess.”

“Idiot,” Levi repeated once again. “I don’t want another partner too, I don’t think Petra is going to be very upset if Erwin finds her a new one.”

“Oh!” Hange finally looked up, her face bright and excited. “You would want to continue working with me?”

“No,” Levi said in a dead-pan voice. “Working with my best friend is absolutely awful, I hated every second of it, that’s why I was so depressed after your death.”

“Gosh, you’re such an asshole,” Hange said, a smile breaking on her face.

Levi couldn’t help but curl his lips upwards too. “And you’re an idiot.”

“Erwin would be ecstatic to have you back too,” he remarked, turning back to his papers. Looking at Hange’s smile made him think silly things. It made him want to press his lips to that smile and taste if it was really as sweet as it looked. He shook his head slightly, struggling to return his attention to work.

“Oh?”

“Yeah, you were his best detective, after all.”

“Hm.” Hange frowned. “Weren’t you the precinct’s best?”

“No,” Levi said, his voice much gruffer than usual. The pen in his hand trembled from the force he was holding it with. “Without you, I wasn’t.”

“Levi…” Hange whispered.

She stood up suddenly, the scraping noise from her chair filling the too quiet room. She walked up to his desk and sat at the edge of it. She slowly reached out to him, curling her hand around his shoulder, and as Levi looked up, he saw that she was staring down at him with a mixture of fondness and shyness.

“Maybe, it’s not the right time for this, but I’ve always wanted to tell you…” she paused, looking down for a second. Then she took a deep breath and—

And then someone knocked on the door. It was loud and insistent, and Levi cursed whoever was behind it. What was Hange going to tell him? He wanted to know. He wanted to know _so much_ he was ready to ignore the irritating knocking.

Hange had another opinion, though.

“Come in!” she shouted, turning away from Levi.

The door opened, and a sweaty, heavy-breathing Oluo tumbled inside.

“Detectives!” he managed to yell between his pants. “Have any of you heard from Petra?”

Levi and Hange exchanged a glance. “No?”

“I’ve just returned from her apartment,” Oluo explained, nodding gratefully at Hange, who offered him a glass of water. He gulped half of it in one go. “It was— it was empty. Her coat and shoes were inside and—”

“And the door?” Hange asked.

“Unlocked.” Oluo answered.

“Shit. Have you noticed anything else?”

“Yes,” Oluo nodded, opening his coat and taking something from the inner pocket. “This was lying on Petra’s windowsill.”

Hange snatched a small bag out of his hands, pushing her glasses up and inspecting it carefully. “A cigarette butt…” she whispered with a troubled expression.

Levi was instantly by her side. “I take it, the brand is familiar?” and before Hange could answer, he added. “Zeke smokes a lot, does he not?”

“I don’t—”

“I knew we couldn’t trust him,” he growled, clenching his fists. “I told you we couldn’t, and now Petra—”

“I don’t think that’s him, Levi,” Hange said, cutting him off. “Just think about it,” she continued, starting to pace around the office. “It’s Zeke we’re talking about, a man so evasive we spend a whole year chasing after him, and now, what? He forgets to throw out his cigarette butt? Even though, he knows we may still suspect him? He’s much smarter than that.”

“So what are you saying?”

“Someone is setting him up,” Hange concluded confidently. “Now I’m sure of it.”

“And what about Petra?” Oluo spoke up. “Do you really think she was… kidnapped?”

“Shit.” Levi muttered with feeling. He didn’t want to believe that Oluo’s conclusion was right, but… then he remembered a note they’ve found at the scene of a second murder and… it was the only possible explanation.

“We need to start the search,” Hange announced in commanding voice. “Levi, go and inform Erwin about this, tell him to gather as much people as he can. Oluo, rest a bit, then go back to your department. If there are officers you unquestionably trust, ask them for help as well. We’ll meet right there in two hours.”

“Oi!” Levi grabbed her sleeve, catching up with Hange, who was already by the door. “And where are you going?”

“To Zeke,” Hange said. “I need to make sure he’s innocent. And, who knows, maybe, he’ll be able to help us.”

“Hange…”

“I’ll be fine,” she gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to die on you for a second time.”

“You better keep this promise, four-eyes.” Levi spoke darkly. “Because I’m not letting you go for a _second time_. Good luck.”

Hange nodded. “I’ll see you soon.”

* * *

There was a pounding, pulsing pain that was impossible to ignore. It felt like someone was hitting her head repeatedly with a hammer and simultaneously squeezing her brain inside the tight clutches. It felt like a hundred hangovers combined.

And it was made exponentially worse by hushed voices to her left that just didn't shut up.

Groaning softly, Petra opened her eyes. And closed them instantly as a new, much stronger wave of pain hit her. Her eyes felt like they were burning, her head felt like it was going to explode.

What had happened to her?

Fighting through pain, Petra tried to focus, searching through her brain for the recent memories. She was... with Oluo, and together they've broken into Sannes' office. Levi had come then, with detective Zoe in tow. And after that... she went home. Petra remembered the feeling of exhaustion as she walked up the stairs to her apartment. And then... what happened _then_? She must have gotten to the front door, and, right... she had found it unlocked. She walked inside and saw a man and....

_"Detective Ral. Did you and your partner receive my note?"_

And then before she could do anything, cry out for help, try to defend herself or take out her gun, the man with an eerie smile attacked her. He seized her hands in his, his face moved closer to hers, she felt shooting pain at the back of her head and then... There was darkness.

And now she was strapped to a chair with a headache so fierce it made her nauseous.

God, it was pathetic. She needed to do something about it.

She opened her eyes again, this time more slowly. The room she was in was still too bright, but Petra persevered and carefully surveyed her surroundings.

The room wasn't big and it was mostly empty. There were no windows and the only source of light was a lightbulb that shone right above her head. Apart from a chair she was sitting on, the only piece of furniture inside was a long table that stood at the other side of the room.

That's where the voices came from. And that's where two figures stood. Petra recognized one of them right away, despite him standing with his back facing her.

_Sannes._

That meant that the man beside him was his _intern_. The bastard who kidnapped her. The man with an eerie smile.

Engrossed in a conversation, the two men didn't seem to notice that she had regained her consciousness. Petra had to use it to her advantage.

Whatever they talked about, the discussion seemed heated. Petra strained her hearing, listening in.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" Sannes hissed, grabbing the other man by the collar of his shirt. "Do you understand what you've done? If Ackerman finds out—”

"He won't," the man responded calmly, easily throwing Sannes’ hands off him. “He won’t be able to find us, I took some precautions.”

“You— you took some precautions?” Sannes repeated, a breathless laugh escaping his lips. “What kind of _precautions_ , you fucking dimwit? Do you know who you’re dealing with?”

“You said he wasn’t as good as he was before…” the man mumbled with a confused frown.

“And that still makes him ten times smarter than you!” Sannes snapped, turning away. “Fuck!” he yelled, gripping the side of his head. “Why did I even agree to help you out, I knew you were a fucking idiot. And now Ackerman will have all the proof he needs to get rid of me. Years of hard work!” he lamented. “And all of it wasted because of your idiotic stunt!”

“Calm down, I’ve got everything under control!” the man tried to placate Sannes. “We’re taking a huge risk, I know, but the reward will be worth it!”

“What kind of reward?” Sannes seethed. “Getting rid of Zeke? I never really cared about that! It’s you who are obsessed with that!”

“Zeke is a fool,” the man sneered, his voice full of disgust. “He’s not the man he was before. Ever since he took in that Zoe, he had made mistake after mistake. It’s time to put an end to this. It’s time for someone else to take over his legacy. Our gang needs a new leader. Someone, who has as much potential as Zeke, but who doesn’t yet possess any of his flaws. Someone, who is cunning and ruthless. Someone who will be able to success, where Zeke failed. There is only one man who can do this," he finished, and even from afar Petra could see a shine of adoration in his eyes.

Sannes scoffed, rolling his eyes, not moved by the passionate speech at all. "And who is that?"

"No one can achieve the greatness Zeke once possessed. Except," the man smiled, and the sight of it made shivers run down Petra's spine.

"His own brother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, yes, i know i've ended the last chapter on a cliffhanger and then spent the whole chapter on levihan interactions only to end this one on cliffhanger as well. sorry about that lmao

**Author's Note:**

> did you like it? did you not? tell me in the comments!


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